The Brooke
by Kaishi29
Summary: I transferred for my sophomore year here in Georgia and met Christian Grey, the man-whore of the campus. Unfortunately I had to share my room with him too. But my undeniable attraction for him isn't the worst secret of this story. Everything was about to change and not in a good way. It was a typical love story until it wasn't. The truth destroyed us... and so did The Brooke.
1. Anastasia 1

**Hey Everyone there, I'm back with another Ana-Christian fanfic. But this is is way too different from the regular fanfics. It's mystery, thriller, adventurous, full of suspense and it's a dark romance. It's a type of story that some might find disturbing in later on chapters.**

 **So consider yourself warned ;)**

 **PLEASE NOTE: I OWN ALL THE COPYRIGHTS TO THIS STORY AND THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT THEIR NAMES.**

 **WARNING: This story is not for everyone. In past few months, there have been readers who stated that they couldn't read my story beyond first 7-8 chapters (since that's the point where the story takes a darker turn) as it was too intense or too dark and disturbing for them. Kindly, if you feel triggered at any point, feel free to leave the story and discontinue it. THE BROOKE IS NOT FOR FAINT-HEARTED or the readers who want an easy HEA. There is an HEA, but not without a long struggle and more dark moments than the lighter ones.**

* * *

 **Part - I**

 **THE PRESENT**

 _"If today I woke up with you beside me_

 _Like all of this was just some twisted dream_

 _I'd hold you closer_

 _And you'd never slip away"_

 _\- 5 Seconds of Summer_

* * *

 **Anastasia**

I WOKE UP SHIVERING and sweating again.

The ache in my chest told me I was out of breath.

No matter how big I opened my mouth, I just couldn't inhale.

I grabbed my neck with both hands in desperation. Wanting to somehow force the oxygen to fill in it.

Tears pricked in my eyes due to suffocation. My body started convulsing still no amount of air entered my lungs.

 _Why can't I breathe! Just let me breathe!_

I knew it won't be long now.

Just a few more minutes and then I will die. Leave this world forever. But strangely this didn't feel any new to me.

My mind suddenly went from panic into a calm mode. Accepting my end.

It felt too familiar, like my mind knew how it was like to die and so it was preparing my body.

As if... as if I have died before.

Though it seemed like my body had its own opinion. It just won't listen to my mind. It didn't want to quit yet.

All my limbs flayed out and started shaking violently to get hold of something. Anything.

One of my hands caught something on my night table.

Just two second before it went down, I realized it was my orange juice which I hadn't finish before sleeping.

 _Crack._

The anticipated sound of the breaking of glass came much later than expected.

Maybe because I was in my last moments that everything suddenly went into slow motion. Or maybe it was just my brain messed up with adrenaline that my senses became faster than a vampire.

Everything was crystal clear to me. All my senses at their max.

I could hear it when the even rhythm of breathing on the next bed stopped.

Shuffling sounds from the bed came followed by a snap of air on the side of my face which told me that covers were withdrawn from that bed.

A heavy sound alerted the placement of a foot on the floor. _Thud._ Another foot. _Thud._ Then footsteps. _Thud thud thud._

Someone was running towards me. Sadly, it was too late. I knew I was going to die.

Slowly, too slowly, someone lifted the covers from my body.

Faint sounds of my name being called repeatedly registered in my ear. I focused hard to clear the blurry vision of my eyes.

If I was dying then I wanted to leave the world with a memory of one last sight.

 _Sky!_

That was what I saw.

That was going to be the last sight.

It was clear blue, light yet so rich with perfect flecks of gray. Just like after the rain, when the clouds dissolved and the sky began to clear.

It was a beautiful view to look at in my last moments.

I thought how lucky I was to die so beautifully, watching such a serene vision.

Although there was something different about this sky than the one I saw every day.

This one had a certain feel to it. I could almost see an emotion in it.

No, not one but many emotions.

This sky seemed so caring. Love and tenderness were spread out with the blue. Then the gray was coming back, overcoming the blue. Cloud of fear and distress slowly taking over.

I didn't want that. I didn't like seeing fear in my sky. It was too beautiful for any kind of negative emotion.

But then, it didn't matter anymore.

I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

Warmth of death was embracing me. My limbs grew heavy. My eyelids shut down automatically, letting the darkness surround me.

"ANASTASIA!" A deep scream shattered my peaceful death.

Heavy pressure landed on my chest again and again.

My nose was being pinched as a warm mouth covered mine, bringing the sweet flow of air along with it.

My throat burned as more air was shoved down in its path. Lungs finally expanded taking each ounce of life in it. I opened my mouth to breathe.

Again, a blessed amount of forced air was gifted to me.

The burning in my throat was too strong. I started coughing.

The pressure on my chest moved towards my back, steadying me as I coughed harder.

"Easy, easy now." A deep rough voice filled my ears.

"Just breathe"

I complied.

The effect was instant. My body immediately started calming down. And surprisingly, so did my mind.

That was when I realized I didn't die.

 _I am alive!_

Opening my eyes, I saw my savior.

Deep blue-grey eyes that were now filled with worry met mine.

I should be used to seeing those eyes now. But each time I looked into them, I was fascinated by their beauty. It was like watching my own personal sky.

A sky so deep and endless that I could fall - no - _fly_ in it forever.

"You okay, Ana?" Christian asked me. I was so deeply enraptured in his eyes that all I could do was merely nod.

I took notice of my surroundings.

I was in my dorm room, lying on my bed in Christian's strong arms.

Usually. girls would die to be in his arms. I almost literally died in them.

Thinking of the irony, a giggle escaped from my lips.

Christian looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. Instantaneously he became agitated. The battle to remain in control was clear in his eyes.

For some reason, this made me laugh harder.

"Dammit Ana!" He hissed.

"You scared the shit out of me. What is wrong with you?" He shook me roughly once. My laugh faded.

Clearly, he looked distraught.

Because of me.

The thought saddened me.

"I'm sorry C." My voice barely audible.

He frowned. His voice was tender again.

"This is the third time in this week Ana. I'm scared for you. What if I don't wake up on time one day? What if I'm too late and you.. you.." He trailed off.

Christian closed his eyes as if he couldn't bear to think of that outcome. He shook his head.

"I can't lose you."

My head snapped up.

Did I hear it right?

From his expressions, I think I did hear it right.

Warm tingles pooled down in my belly. My mind being more rational, analyzed his statement.

Why did it matter to him so much? Why would he care?

It wasn't like he would be accused of murdering me.

Maybe he didn't want any trouble.

Yes, that was the reason.

 _I am trouble_.

My heart stung thinking how much of a great inconvenience I must be proving to him.

Yet he never complained. I couldn't be unfair to him.

"I'm so sorry for waking you up again C."

He shot me an outrageous look.

"Are you kidding me? Thank god that I woke up. I can't imagine what would have happened if I hadn't. You were dreaming again, weren't you?"

Oh yes! The dream!

I was dreaming _the dream_ again. I nodded.

"Yes, but it was different this time. I remember something."

"What do you remember?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Doesn't matter. I just remember a few glimpses of it. Not enough to make any sense."

I sighed deeply.

"Look, I'm not trying to sound rude or anything. I am really happy with you staying here but why don't you look for renting rooms now? I heard Paul was looking for a roommate."

"I can't leave you like this. Kate is never here, god knows what can happen to you."

"Christian, I'm not your responsibility," I mumbled weakly. "I've caused you enough trouble anyway."

He snickered. "Trust me it's no trouble. Besides, Kate isn't charging me anything right now. As long as that goes I think I'll tag along here. That is, if you don't mind."

Kate was my roommate and Christian's friend.

Also his ex-girlfriend.

Which was no shocker seeing that fact that almost every girl in the campus was somehow linked to him.

He was the kind of guy girls would rip their clothes for.

Blue eyes with flecks of gray, straight sculpted nose, square-lined jaw, perfect tanned skin, lips made for kissing and dark brown chocolate hair.

He was dangerously handsome. And the arrogant asshole knew it very well.

When Elliot, Christian's ex-roommate, kicked him out from his apartment because C was caught hooking up with his girlfriend in a party, C had no place to stay.

He applied for dorms in the campus but unfortunately they were full.

Of course, many girls offered their bed but he refused them all.

Apparently, he had this weird rule to never have sex in the same bed where he slept. Strange guy.

Nothing else worked out, so Kate offered him her dorm room which was shared by me.

Since Kate stayed most of the time at her boyfriend's house, her bed was free.

She begged me not to report him and made me understand his situation.

After I was guaranteed that he won't be a jerk or try any sort of his infamous moves on me, I took pity on the guy and agreed to our weird arrangement.

During the day he would stay most of the time on campus till eve and at night he would sneak in and quietly sleep in the bed next to mine.

The first two weeks were like this, we never talked outside or even inside the dorm.

I guess Kate told him that I was resistant to his charms. I was scared.

Usually, when guys like him got to know a girl acting out of the crowd and not falling for him, they would make her the challenge and try their best to charm her.

But not Christian.

He never made a move or stared at me like a creep.

In fact, if I'm not wrong, he was more comfortable that I wasn't crushing on him like rest of the college.

Maybe he didn't find me attractive enough, which was completely fine by me.

Or maybe he didn't want to hook up with roommates. It was almost as if he respected me for it. I liked that about him.

As the third week started, we grew more comfortable with the arrangement.

We started making small talks and helping each other here and there.

By the fourth week, he would sneak in an hour or so earlier than the bedtime and we would study together.

Till fifth, we started hanging out outside the campus.

We finally became friends in the sixth week.

It was going to be almost three months now. Of him being my roommate.

The first month and a half were blissful till I started having these dreams.

Not dreams, only this one particular dream.

It was more like a nightmare than a dream. I always woke up panting or screaming or crying hysterically.

Christian would wake up, calm me down and sit next to me till I fall asleep.

At first, it seemed normal. A rare occurrence. But from past two weeks, it had become more regular.

Not only would I wake up shouting and sweating now, I would wake up choking and suffocating too.

This was the third time Christian had saved my life from dying an idiotic death by a stupid nightmare.

As creepy as it went, I was more aware of how embarrassing it was.

Deep down I knew I should be scared but I wasn't.

Like I had said before, it was as if my mind knew how it was like to die and so it immediately calms when I suffocate or choke in sleep.

Almost like it was a relief to my mind.

Someone can easily call me suicidal. I knew I wasn't.

I didn't want to die. I never thought of dying.

Yet somehow these nightmares that I couldn't even remember as soon as I woke up, made me extremely relaxed about dying.

I looked up at Christian. My heart filled with gratitude. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him.

"Of course I don't mind. I just don't like you missing your sleep because of me."

I snuggled closer to him. "Thank you so much for saving me. _Again_."

He brought his arms around me and caged me against his muscular chest.

"It was no trouble at all. I would never sleep if it meant keeping you safe."

His words, so raw and honest stirred something deep inside me.

Things have been changing between us for a while now. I could feel that.

I wasn't ready to name it yet or talk about it.

Thankfully C never approached the topic either. Guess we both were happy being safely in the friend zone.

I turned my head against his chest to look at my side. My gaze fell onto the floor where pieces of glass were lying smashed, all over the place.

A few pieces that lay near my bed were covered with blood.

Following the trail I looked down at C's foot, the one hanging out from my bed.

Blood was dripping from it.

I pushed myself backward leaning away from his embrace. He tightened his arms around me.

"Stay" He whispered fervently.

"C! Your foot! You're bleeding." I scrambled out of his hold.

He looked down at his foot, frowning. Like he just figured out that he was injured.

"I didn't realize that." He said strangely calmed. "But it was a good thing the glass broke. The noise was what woke me up."

He winced remembering the scene that took place a few minutes ago.

C brought his hand up gently cupping my face. His thumb caressed my cheek.

As much as I wanted to lean into his touch, I knew I couldn't. It seemed wrong somehow.

Well, not exactly wrong, maybe just too soon.

So instead I made a beeline for the bathroom and brought the first aid kit back.

I settled down on the bed in front of him and carefully brought his injured leg up, resting it on my lap.

"Let me look at that." I told him.

There were several pieces of glass stuck in his sole and blood everywhere. I cringed.

"Doesn't look so good. You might need stitches. Let's see after we clean up the wound."

I took out a pair of tweezers in one hand and a wet cloth in other as I began to nurse him.

The guilt that he was wounded because of me was eating me up.

"I'm sorry this happened because of me." I said as I kept my eyes down at his wound.

Christian brought his hand up. He took my chin in his thumb and forefinger and forced my gaze up to meet his fiercely intense one.

"I don't want you to apologize again at all. Not about tonight or any night before, got it?"

His hypnotic voice compelled me to nod my head.

Looking down, I continued working on his injury.

He didn't even flinch when I took out the glass from the wound.

The way he kept looking at me, his intense stare made me self-conscious. My heart started beating faster in my chest.

"I guess you won't be needing stitches after all." I said when I examined his foot after cleaning it up.

Making sure there was no glass left before I began wrapping the bandage around it.

Christian remained silent all the while, just looking at me.

As soon as I was done, he took the first aid from my hand placing it on the night table.

He took both of my wrists and jerked me closer to him, locking mine in his huge form against his hard muscled torso.

It felt too comfortable to argue or retreat back. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck. Snuggling into him.

"Ana, don't get mad but I was thinking maybe you should see someone."

His voice grew tense and nervous. "Someone who could help you."

I stilled under him.

I knew what he was thinking. It wasn't exactly that the idea repelled me.

In fact, it seemed like a good idea in my case. Who knows it might help me.

But what was I exactly supposed to tell a shrink? I couldn't remember the dream as soon as I woke up. I didn't understand why I behaved they way I did while dreaming.

I didn't know anything at all about my situation. How could a shrink help me when I was unable to express myself?

The idea of methods like hypnosis being used was just too scary.

I didn't want some stranger to know all my inner secrets or personal thoughts. They were mine to be shared with. I chose the friends with whom I wanted to share.

The thought of it all bring stripped away by someone professional was what repelled me.

Quickly I regained my composure as I replied him with a tight smile on my lips. "I am perfectly fine C. Don't worry it's just a stupid dream."

If he knew I was lying he didn't push it.

I knew there was something very much wrong with me and I knew it wasn't just a stupid dream.

Still, I put it all away for now as I drifted to sleep in his arms.


	2. Christian 2

**Disclaimer : Except the names of the characters, I own everything about this story.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **Christian POV**

I KNEW SHE WAS lying.

Anyone with half the brains could see she wasn't alright. Plus it didn't help that she was a pathetic liar.

I have tried so much, pushed her so much but she was the most stubborn person in the history and future of most stubborn people.

Sometimes I really wished to forcefully drag her with me to seek her help. But I knew that won't benefit the case.

She couldn't be helped unless she wanted to be helped.

I was worried to death about Anastasia.

If it was anyone else, I would have left them to fret over themselves. I was done pushing beyond the point. It almost seemed suicidal at this stage so who was I to interfere?

People didn't call me asshole for no reason.

But Anastasia was... different.

She wasn't just the most gorgeous girl I have ever laid my eyes on. She was beautiful, from inside and out.

The fiercest personality with a casually cruel honest attitude and a touch of humorous wit.

Yes, she was unique. And what's more? It's been three months and she hasn't once spread herself out for me.

Far away from that, she hasn't even flirted with me or bat her eyelashes at me.

You see, I only respected those who should be respected and honestly hardly any girl on campus belonged to that category.

All that was needed was a good face, a set of hard muscles and abs and a seducing voice.

Just the combination of these things would make them spread eagle on the bed like a slut ready to be fucked.

So who was I not to take it for granted? Definitely not a saint.

Kate was one of my few friends because she at least had some dignity to be in a relationship before sneaking into my couch.

That was the only thing that discriminated her from rest of the groupies.

That and her sweet helpful nature.

So when I was kicked out by my best friend-slash-roommate whose girlfriend had practically raped me, Kate was the only trusted person I could turn to because :

A) We broke up long time back and she wasn't interested in me anymore B) She already had a boyfriend and C) Like I said, she was kind and helpful.

Naturally, I was thrilled to get a free bed with a room that was hygienic and almost luxurious.

It was a comfortable bed with a big enough bathroom.

Besides, I usually stayed out till the night so I rarely used the room besides for cleaning up and sleeping.

The only torture was sleeping next to Anastasia every night.

Having inappropriate fantasies and blue ball dreams was no fun.

During first few weeks, she was very keen on avoiding me.

Unlike other girls, she seemed uncomfortable sharing the room at nights with me. Like I was somehow invading in her privacy.

Whenever I tried making any conversation, her replies were always cocky and cranky.

If I hadn't known better, I would have thought she was nervous around me. Her bitchiness was very enchanting and amusing.

After that, I started noticing her more in the school and outside the school.

She was a party girl alright but I never once saw her with a guy.

Many boys would approach her in clubs or at parties, but after a while of friendly chats, she brushed them off.

I had started to think maybe she was a lesbian, but as we grew closer I got to know that wasn't the case.

Few days later, her cranky attitude subsided, probably because she realized I wasn't going to make a move on her.

I found out she was actually a cool person to hang out with.

At that time I had no intention of fucking her.

Not now, not ever.

Despite her luscious curves and ravishing beauty begging me to get laid with her, I wanted nothing more than friendship.

I couldn't afford to fuck her.

Because she simply wasn't the type of girl you fuck.

She was the type you fall for. Deep and hard.

That wasn't possible here because firstly, she deserved much better than this heartless asshole and secondly, Christian Grey wasn't the type to fall for. At. All.

But last week has been the most horrific in my entire existence.

She almost died. _Twice_.

A strange heavy pain settled over my chest every time I thought about it. It made almost impossible for me to breathe.

It had been a few weeks since she started having these weird dreams where she would scream and toss violently.

Earlier I thought it was just some bad dreams but it started to happen more frequently.

Soon her crying became more vivid and at times she would start convulsing so badly like she was on her death bed.

It killed me to stand there, watch her helpless every time.

I would call her, yell at her, shake her, slap her soothe her gently, but it was of no use.

No matter how hard I try, she would never wake up before the dream was over. I couldn't take away her suffering, so I suffered with her.

Every time she screamed and begged I cradled her against my chest. Her petite body shaking against mine urged me to protect her.

I wanted to protect her so damn much.

From the world. The danger lurking out there. The bad people. Her nightmares. Especially her _fucking_ nightmare.

I knew she had the same nightmare every night.

I knew that because every night it began almost at the same time. Her screaming the same words in the same order.

The same pattern of her arms and falling out like she was fighting someone.

Near the end, the end where I knew she almost fucking died in her dreams, she would become completely immobile.

Her limbs stretching and curling stiffly around something invisible. Like she was grabbing to hold on to something.

I had asked her so many times what did she dream about. But she said she never remembered it.

Only that it was something ugly and horrendous.

Well no shit about that. It was the worst sight in front my eyes.

Since last week, something had changed.

It was as if there was an extended version of her nightmare taking place.

Not only would she start convulsing during the end, she began panting and choking in her sleep too.

Last two times were the worst.

I had been through hell and forth seeing her literally die.

It scared the crap out of me to think what would have happened if I wasn't there.

Last night it was too close.

I wouldn't have woken up if it wasn't for the glass crashing down.

I might have been too late... I could've lost her...

The uneasiness in my chest became too much to bear. Making me unable to concentrate on anything else.

If this happened to go on, I swear she was going to be the death of both of us.

It fucking pissed me off when she suggested me to look for some other place.

She thought I was raging on because I was missing my sleep over her tantrums.

 _Bloody insane girl!_

With everything going on with her, sleep was the last thing on my mind.

What she didn't know was that I had been offered many places to put up to. By both girls and guys.

Some fellow mates of my soccer team had also told me that I could stay with them for free.

Hell even Elliot had asked me to come back after seeing the true colors of her so-called girlfriend.

But I couldn't leave Anastasia.

I just couldn't.

Not because she was alone or because she was probably in danger of dying in sleep.

Those reasons only made my motive to stay stronger but they weren't the actual reason.

The truth was simple.

I just couldn't leave her. I needed to be around her.

I didn't care if I could hardly get a peaceful sleep at night, I couldn't bear her absence these days.

So it didn't matter if her screams would wake me up in the middle of the night. I anyway hardly slept.

Watching her asleep was even better. It was a more peaceful and rested sight than any sleep I could get.

It was something I had started to crave, something that was soon becoming my obsession. A dangerous one.

I didn't know what it was or why I was feeling the way I was feeling.

I wasn't afraid to put it a name or anything. I just never liked the labels. I simply refused to over think situations like a girl or become a complex personality.

Hell I'll do whatever the fuck I wanted.

Therefore, I didn't need to analyze it.

I just needed to be with her.

Anastasia.

BARGING INTO THE CANTEEN area I saw our table was already full.

Everyone was there except me.

Irritated, I started walking.

As I made my way, I saw an empty chair next to Anastasia.

I usually saved her seat so it made sense she saved one for me today.

Or at least that was what my rational-self was telling me.

My idiot-self was grinning like an idiot over the idea that Anastasia thought of me.

That she spent approximately 2.4563 seconds long enough to think of me and save me a fucking seat.

 _What the fuck is wrong with you these days Grey?_

 _You're acting like a pussy-whipped one-sided lover._

Shaking my head, I sat on the honored empty seat.

It was then I noticed the food tray kept in front of me with my choice of snacks. I glanced over Anastasia in confusion.

"You're welcome." She said smugly.

Damn this girl!

My idiot-self was grinning from ear to ear. My chest swelling with a strange but good sensation over a girl grabbing me a meal.

 _Yes. I am definitely pussy whipped_.

"Thanks babe." I said, laughing when she winked at me.

She turned back to continue chatting with Jack.

 _Jack!_

Instant jealousy filled my mind.

Jack Hyde, the new boy who came a month ago, was every girl's sweet dream.

He was the type that girls referred to as 'The Prince Charming' or 'The man of my dreams'.

He came here on football scholarship but he was good at every damn sport.

Except for soccer, for which thank fuck because that was my sport.

My game to rule. My field to dominate.

In less than a month he had managed to charm the hell out of the girls here without even trying.

I didn't pay attention before this, neither cared.

In fact we sometimes used to tag along too. He was good. A nice chap to hang out with.

But right now it was taking all of me to keep it together when I was able to hear him flirting and laughing with Anastasia.

I could see how Ana was hanging on his each and every word, going all dreamy eyes on him.

My fists clenched stopping myself from wanting to punch him and give him a black eye for flirting with my girl-

Whoa! Wait a sec. _My girl?_

What the fuck?

Anastasia wasn't mine. Where did that even come from?

Now if I look, Jack was exactly her type. He was the sweet, pussy-whipped, typical shy guy. Not me.

"So Jack, how are you finding Georgia?" Kate aced, sitting two seats away from him.

"It's great! I love that the city is so hot." He directly looked at Anastasia as he continued.

"Especially the people here. So damn hot." He winked.

Anastasia looked at him wide-eyed, going red from temple to her neck.

My blood was boiling.

She was affected by him. I could see that.

He affected her in the way I didn't.

Luckily for Jack, the bell rang.

Everyone started making their way to classes while I took my untouched tray to dump it.

I didn't notice Anastasia was right behind me until I reached the dustbin.

She had this weird ability to walk as silent as a ghost.

"You didn't eat anything?" She asked me, trying to mask hurt in her voice. Failing miserably at it.

Fuck! I didn't like putting that expression on her face.

"I wasn't feeling hungry." I said while she dumped her tray. "But thanks for the grabbing me food today. I guess I'll keep the sandwi-"

Just as I was about to grab the sandwich from my tray, someone behind me tripped and stumbled forward colliding with me, and sending my try straight into the bin. With the sandwich.

Before I could blink, a hand grabbed the sandwich from the tray as it shuffled further into the bin.

I looked up, bewildered.

Ana standing there with her hand outstretched towards me. She gave me a smug smile as she presented my cling wrapped sandwich.

The girl's got reflexes. Very, very quick reflexes.

I have known from a while, but it still sometimes struck me a little creepy to watch it live. I don't think she's aware of how unusual or abnormal her reflexes were.

Sure she thought she was fast but in truth she was super fast. Almost at an inhumane speed.

I took my sandwich as the second bell rang.

"See you at night babe." I whispered in her ear playfully.

Without thinking I kissed her cheek and turned to walk away without seeing her reaction.

Reaching for the door I couldn't help but look back, only to see Ana still standing there with her mouth wide open and shock on her face.

I punched my fist in the air.

YES!

"NOOO!" ANA'S BLOOD-CURLING scream woke me up.

I immediately sat upright on my bed.

My back complained in the process for sitting up so fast. But I couldn't pay attention to my own needs right now.

Because Anastasia was screaming and crying in her bed. Her limbs flaying out and she tossed violently.

"Please! Noooo please please please!"

Shit! Another motherfucking nightmare.

Instantaneously I jumped at her side. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Ana, wake up. Come you're dreaming. Wake up, sweetheart."

I kept on telling her in different pitches knowing it was useless.

I gathered her in my arms. Her skin was so cold.

My voice went from whispers to yelling to begging to shouting. But she remained oblivious to my presence. Too drowned in her nightmare.

"Please don't leave." She cried out heart-broken. I tightened my hold around her.

"Please don't!"

"Shh! I'm right here. It's alright. I'm here with you." I kept murmuring.

I knew she couldn't listen to me right now, still I kept repeating it over and over.

The violent shaking of her body began to cool. Her screams subsided as her arms and legs stretched out and started curling.

Her dream was coming to the end. The part where she dies.

All fight left her body. As well as the heat. She became ice cold. Her breathing came in fast pants.

Suddenly I just couldn't bear it.

It fucking hurt to see her go through this again.

It hurt too much to see her die third time and revive her back.

I needed to wake her up before she began suffocating again.

I couldn't see her die again. It was too much. Too unbearable.

An idea flashed in my mind.

Without thinking I impacted to try it.

I didn't want our first time to be like this- if there would have been a first time- but it seemed like I had no choice.

So I grabbed her face in both my hands and pressed my lips to hers.

The effect was instant.

She stiffened beneath me.

Her mouth opened in shock and I took the opportunity. My tongue slipped inside her warm mouth without my consent.

A growl emerged deep within my chest.

It felt so incredible exploring the depths of her mouth as I kissed the hell out of her.

I felt her body writhe under mine. Her arms wrapped around neck.

She fisted her hands into my hair as she brought me closer and kissed me. I kissed her back passionately.

We tasted and explored each other for mere minutes but it seemed like hours.

Hell she tasted so _so_ fucking sweet, I could kiss her for days.

I sucked her tongue then gently bit her lower lip. She moaned.

Her voice. The sound she made. It did something to me.

It changed how I looked at her. How I felt for her.

More than change, it made me deeply cognizant of my feelings for her.

I wasn't just attracted to her. No, it- this bond- ran much deeper than it.

I was already addicted to kissing her even when I was kissing her for the first time. It didn't feel like the first time. It felt like the millionth time.

As strange as it seemed, my mouth recognized hers.

I knew the pattern of her tongue swirling with mine. The rhythm that she liked of my tongue thrusting against hers.

I knew she liked when I sucked her lower lip, just how much it drove her crazy.

I knew it all when I was kissing her for the very fucking first time in forever.

Ana began gasping for air, but for a complete different reason now than five minutes ago.

She wasn't held captive by her nightmare anymore.

She was held captive by me. By my kiss. Our kiss.

She broke away from me sucking in sharply.

Then she opened her eyes and saw me like she was seeing me for the very first time.

Like I was the treasure she once lost.

"You're here." She spoke in part wonder and part amazement.

"Of course I'm here." My voice came out all rough, breathless from the mind-blowing kiss. I wrapped her cold body in a warm embrace.

"You're here." She said again, like she couldn't believe it. "Oh I missed you. I missed you so much."

My brows drew up as I looked down at her in confusion.

 _Why did she miss me when I was right here?_

It was then I noticed her eyes.

The way they were clouded, glazed over.

She was looking at me but she wasn't. She saw both see me and right through me.

I realized she wasn't awake. She was still dreaming.

Only she wasn't having her usual nightmare right now. She was entirely in another dreamland.

She was dreaming about someone else, some _other_ guy.

She was dreaming about kissing _him_ not me.

My heart shattered and crumpled into millions of billions pieces which felt like further being stomped.

Anastasia didn't kiss me, she kissed _him._ The man she was dreaming about.

 _And it fucking hurt like a bitch._

"I missed you. Don't leave me again."

She said again but I was only partly listening. My blood ran cold. I was more still than any fucking statue.

I. Couldn't. Fucking. Breathe.

She brought her hand up and caressed my cheek.

Pain was evident on her face as she spoke the words that turned my world upside down.

"I missed you, Christopher."

If my blood ran cold earlier, it was frozen now.

 _No!_

No fucking way in hell she had said that.

No way I would've have heard that right.

It has to someone else, has to some other name.

But the way she was looking at me, even in her half-asleep state, it was clear as crystal.

 _But that can't happen. It has to be some other Christopher._

She couldn't be taking about _him._

 _Christopher._

It just can't be.

It can't be Christopher Grey.

It can't be my fucking twin brother.

It certainly can't be him because he went missing four years ago.

.

.

 **Now before you kill me or stop reading my story cause of Christopher, just wait for next chapter. And the next one. And the one after that. And so on. As mentioned in the genre, its not only romance but mystery too so of course it would take time to unravel this mystery. But I assure you I'm Ana-Christian girl and no one could ever tear them apart. Not even the twin Christopher.**

 **Please don't forget to review. Your curses are more than welcome.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs xoxo~**


	3. Anastasia 3

**How you liking it so far? Please let me know what you think and if you want to suggest anything regarding my writing or my plot.**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER : It's just the name of the characters that I do not own. Apart from that I have copyrights on each and everything.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **Anastasia**

SOMETHING HAPPENED LAST NIGHT.

I knew for a fact something did happened between me and Christian.

He just won't look me in the eye.

I must have said something I didn't mean to. Or done something.

Maybe I fought him in my dreamy state and hurt him somewhere.

 _I'm such a mess_. _Why does he put up with me?_

Didn't matter now.

Because I knew he would be looking for another room now.

He obviously wouldn't stay with me if he couldn't make eye contact with me. I must have done something terrible.

I wanted to ask him what was wrong, if only he would stop avoiding me.

I couldn't remember anything about last night after going to bed.

Usually I would wake up in his embrace after the dream. But I don't remember anything like that happening last night. Only the dream.

The dream.

I remembered it. This is the first time I remembered what I saw. Not just senseless bits and pieces but the _whole_ dream.

And I remembered _him_.

I remembered him so well.

I remembered his eyes, grey eclipsing the blue.

Fear and resignation so sharp in them that it breaks my heart every time I remember it.

His face filled with agony as he brought his lips to mine for the last time. His arms caging me in before finally releasing me forever.

We were supposed to die together, but he betrayed me. He left me alone. That was all I knew. That was all I remembered. That and his name.

Christopher.

I also remembered the last words he spoke in my ear.

"I love you. I'll always live in you, just like you'll live in me."

With that, he had left me forever alone in the darkness.

Left me unprotected. Left me to die.

But what bothered me the most was his resemblance to someone I knew.

His face was strikingly familiar, so was his voice and his touch.

He looked just like Christian. Just like his carbon copy. Almost as if they were the same person.

I had to talk about this with C. He couldn't avoid me forever.

I woke up this morning to find that he was already gone. I tried catching up with him in between the classes. Thrice.

Thrice I tried and thrice he said the same thing. "Not now, Ana. Later." Without looking at me.

I get it that I must have done something to piss him off but he needed to understand that I wasn't aware.

I couldn't be responsible for what I do in my sub-conscious state.

 _My sub consciousness_.

It felt so weird saying that out loud. Like that part of didn't really belonged to me.

Ughh. I was going mad.

As much I liked to over analyze everything I had to stop. Else I'll be soon in a mental asylum.

For now I had to attend my class.

AFTER THE CLASSES ENDED, I went for the lunch.

Entering the lunch hall, I saw everyone else was there. Except Christian and I.

Reluctantly I walked to my seat and settled down pouting.

What the hell was wrong with him?

 _Maybe he doesn't want to do anything with you now._

 _Maybe he realized what a mess you are and decided to stay away._

 _Maybe he's talking to someone for new sleeping arrangements._

 _Maybe it's some hot chick._

It shouldn't have hurt to think that.

I knew it was better that way.

I had bothered him enough. Disrupted his sleep so many times.

Of course it made sense for him to leave now when my dreams were becoming more of a regular habit.

He couldn't calm me down everyone night. He might have thought the same and decided to leave.

Then why was I having this strange painful empty hole in my chest thinking that?

Why I felt so... so devastated on the thought of his departure?

He couldn't stay my roomie forever.

Besides, it wasn't like we won't be seeing each other anymore.

 _But it won't be the same. You know it too._

"Hey Ana. What's up with you?" Jack asked me, snapping me from my inner monologue.

His sky-brightening smile made my lips curl upwards involuntarily.

He was the freaking perfect guy. Such a sweetheart.

I couldn't ever imagine anyone more perfect than him. Neither Kate or any other girl could. Even when Kate already had a boyfriend.

But Jack was a rare gem.

Dark blonde hair, matty-blue eyes, tall and lean. Perfect in academics. Perfect in sports.

He had also won several awards for hip-hop and contemporary dancing style.

"Uhm nothing really. I was just wondering where C was. I needed to talk about something with him."

Lying was never my strength and I never did vague. So whenever anyone asked me anything however person, I would be blatantly honest.

I didn't see how lying would make anything better at all.

I felt something grazing my arm. I looked down to see a tray being slid towards me.

But it didn't contain any of the canteen food. No, it had two freaking hot dogs.

HOTDOGS!

What wouldn't I do to have them all the time.

I would die and kill for hot dogs. They were my guilty pleasures.

I bent closer to inspect them.

The paper cardboard cover was imprinted with Doggy Dogg.

Oh. My. God.

They make the _bestest_ hot dogs in Atlanta. I finally looked up at the person who bought me this priceless gift.

"My treat." Christian said.

He was watching my face so intently with an amused grin.

I wanted to leap into his lap and kiss the life out of him. But I settled for a hug and launched myself at him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I cried.

His arms caught me, pulling me closer into him. I gave a quick peck on his cheek. He laughed as I settled back bouncing in my chair.

"You just officially became my best-est-est-est friend in the fucking whole wide world."

That made him laugh harder. I hardly ever used the F-bomb. In fact I hardly ever cursed too. At least not out loud.

Without waiting for another second I dove into the first bun.

Chicken hot dog with mustard and tomato ketchup. Extra spicy.

Just exactly as I liked it. I couldn't resist moaning out loud.

"Mhhhmmm" I breathed out. "You're awesome C. Thank you so, so much"

Christian looked at me like he just conquered the whole world.

"You're welcome." He grinned, winking at me. His right dimple demanding to be licked irresistibly.

Suddenly I had this strange urge to spread the mustard and ketchup on his dimple and lick it.

I could bet it would taste thousand times better than this deliciously-orgasmic hot dog I was eating.

I shook my head to refrain myself from such thoughts and continued eating.

"Ana uh.. I'm sorry for interrupted but I needed to ask you something." Jack's hesitant voice made me look at him.

He was scratching his head looked nervous. So damn cute.

And who apologizes for interrupting an eating session?

 _Oh dear God! Why don't you make such gentlemen like him anymore?_

Where Christian was the sex god, Jack was the lover boy.

Jack was like the sweet droplets of breezy rain while C was the freaking lightening storm.

"It's alright. What you wanted to ask?"

I was aware my voice immediately changing as I talked to him.

My eyes widening and my body language completely giving me away. Anyone from a mile's distance could tell I was crushing on Jack.

But who wasn't in this college? Or rather in this city?

"I was thinking about joining salsa classes in three weeks. But of course I need a partner and since I'm new here I don't really feel comfortable asking someone else. So will you like to join with me?"

I stopped breathing. I couldn't believe my ears.

My senses went into hyper aware state again.

I was aware of conversations stopping in the mid.

Silence descended on our table. Someone just dropped her fork across the table.

Though I wasn't looking, I could tell few mouths hung wide open. A sharp intake of breath who most probably sounded like Kate.

Someone just froze before taking a bite. C stiffening beside me.

But I couldn't look anywhere else apart from Jack. My eyes about to burst out of their sockets anytime.

"Y-you want m-me t-to join the sa-salsa club w-with you?"

What the hell. Why was I stammering?

It wasn't like he just proposed me. But it felt that amazing

Jack nodded. Not bothering with my stuttering

"Yeah. Why not?" He shrugged. "You're my friend and fun and a really nice person. Please be my dance partner?"

My heart was beating so loudly, there was no way that Stella- the girl sitting at the farthest corner of our table- wasn't able to hear it.

How could I say no to that?

I opened my mouth to say that I would love to when someone else spoke before me. Rachel.

"Well Ana, before you say anything, I would like to remind you that you have extra work load this semester as you are double-majoring and also you're starting on the internship next month."

She said in a taunting voice. Jealousy clear in her tone.

 _Bloody Bitch!_

But sadly she was right. I couldn't make out time for even going to gym, much less salsa classes.

Jack must have seen the helpless expression on my face. His face fell for a moment but then his cheering smile was back.

"It's alright. We'll see next year."

Kate took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Have you been to the beach, Jack?"

"No. Haven't got the chance. I don't like going to beaches alone."

"Well we can go after the classes. It's been a while since I went there myself." She turned to speak to the group.

"Guys! Let's hit the beach this evening. Weather seems nice too. Who all is in for a swim?"

Everyone agreed. I was about to confirm too but then I remembered something.

"Ugh Kate, C doesn't swim." I peeked at C who was trying to hide his discomfort.

He would always stress when it came to swimming. Just like I would stress when it came to running. It was strange in a way that how similar we were.

"Oh yeah, right." Kate said. "Well you can just sit outside Christian. Have some nice sun tanning, y'know?"

I could see C trying to struggle to make an excuse. He couldn't stand being near any water body. Not even swimming pools.

At first I thought he must be having some water-phobia but then he bathes everyday and often comes for our group's Jacuzzi gatherings so it must be some specific kind of phobia.

"You know what," I chirped in "I think I'll sit this one out too. I anyway need to talk to C."

"Then we can go some other time." Jack suggested.

"Oh don't be like that now." Rachel rolled her eyes. "We all are dying to see your yummy abs."

Everyone else on the table laughed or giggled.

Jack's face turned into an adorable shade of bright red.

 _Holy shit! This guy blushes. He is a_ _ **guy**_ _and he freaking blushes!_

The bell rang, people started moving.

Jack smiled at me before getting up carrying his tray.

I turned to C who was sitting still with unreadable expressions.

"You have any other class for today?" I asked him although I knew the answer already.

Christian shook his head, answering truthfully.

"Great! Let's go for a walk in the park."

I got up and started walking without waiting for his reply. That way he had no other choice but to follow me.

"What do you want to talk about Ana?" C asked me as soon as we reached the park. His voice sounded suddenly defeated. I turned to him.

"About last night." I replied

"What about it?" he grumbled.

I wanted to ask why he was acting like this.

He was fine in the canteen. Why he was back to sulking again?

I wanted to ask if I had done something wrong. But from his face I knew he didn't want to waste any time on this conversation.

So I cut it straight to the chase.

"Who is Christopher?"

As soon as the words left my mouth his posture immediately stiffened. His guard came up and his face became unreadable.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He said flatly.

He always told me I was a pathetic liar. Frankly, he was no good liar himself.

"Don't lie to me Christian Grey. You know _who_ I am talking about. I am positive for the fact that the boy from my dreams- no, scratch that- the boy from my _nightmares_ looks exactly like you. So I know something is up. Tell me what you're hiding?"

He remained quiet for a few minutes.

Then he opened his mouth to speak but closed it.

He did that twice more and for a moment I thought he was going to lie again.

I was ready to scream on him but he sighed.

"He was my twin brother. Identical twin." His voice came hard as steel.

From what he just said, only one thing registered in my mind.

"Was?"

Christian nodded.

"He has been missing for four years now. Since the junior year of high school."

"But then how do I know him? I don't remember going to high school with him. Was he in Iowa?"

"No he wasn't. And I have no idea how you know him. He has never been to mid-west and like you told me, you've never left Iowa before transferring here."

"But then how?" It felt stupid to ask Christian.

He was as much confused as I was. Probably more. So I changed the question. "How did he go missing?"

"No one knows. I just woke up one morning and he wasn't there. No one suspected anything at first, but then we all started getting worried. Three days later we reported him. A year later they shut down the file stating him as a run-away."

"But you don't believe he ran away." I stated. I knew him enough by now to know what he was thinking.

He sighed again.

"No I don't. Because I fucking knew my brother. He never had any reason to run away and he couldn't have done something like that without talking to me. I was his confidentiality, his conscience. Hell he would come and tell me if he even sneezed more than twice.

I was just six minutes older but he made me feel like six years older than him. I used to protect his ass whenever he got into trouble, hide stuff from our parents for him. He couldn't just leave without me. And at least if he left he had this much brains to leave with money or food or clothes. Even his fucking shoes are still lying beside his bed."

He almost shouted the last line. I flinched. Seeing that, C immediately calmed down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

His face was raging with emotions. I figured it must be a really touchy topic for him.

"It's just that no one knows about this. I haven't talked about him with anyone since the year he went missing. Not even my parents. They were too much in grief." His voice cracked in the end.

Seeing his pained-staking face I felt the need to comfort him.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly and laid my head on his shoulder, breathing him in.

He had a unique scent. Musky and woody. Somehow it had an immediate effect on me.

I was the one comforting him, but it was him relaxing me.

I felt his arms coming up around me when we were interrupted by someone.

"Hey Christian, you've got to see this." One of Christian's soccer teammate shouted as he jogged towards us.

Reluctantly, I let go of C and stepped aside.

"What is it James?" Christian asked, irritated.

But James didn't take the hint and continued to speak. "Elliot is having his ass kicked in chess by this new kid. 'Bout to lose two hundred."

That caught C's attention. As well as mine.

Elliot, C's ex-roommate, was the state champion in chess. He was also listed on national ranking across the country.

I decided to take this as a distraction to ease the tension between us regarding Christopher.

"Come on C. Let's go and see."

James led us to the center of the park. Some students were gathered around a coffee table in a circle. Two boys sat on the either side.

Elliot was looking down at the game concentrating so hard that his veins were almost bulging out his neck.

The other guy was watching him in amusement. I recognized him immediately from my English class.

Jose Rodriguez.

Friendly buddy, though extremely flirty.

To be honest, I thought he was dumb but he turned out to be really smart if was able to make Troy sweat in chess.

Either that or maybe it was just Elliot's unlucky day.

I looked down on the game. I have never seen the game being played before.

I wasn't interested in it and as far as I knew I had never played either.

But something happened when I looked at the black and white squared board.

It was like a switch clicked in my mind as I kept staring at the white king that was checked by the black queen.

It was like the pieces were talking to me.

Those non-living creatures coming to life like in a bloody Harry Potter movie.

"Dude, you're gonna make a move today or not?" Jose asked Elliot.

Elliot shook his head. "I think I'm gonna forfeit. It's a check-mate in the next move."

"Aw, come on now. Don't give up so easily. At least try."

Jose taunted. Elliot shook his head again. Jose sighed dramatically

"I'll tell you what, if anyone among the crowd could help you win, I'll give you back a hundred."

Then he looked around at others. "Come on guys. Help Troy save his money and win a Benjamin. He might share the price with you."

I don't know what made me do it.

I wasn't even aware of my legs carrying my forward but I was suddenly next to the table. My eyes never leaving the pieces.

"Bishop to G8." I heard myself speaking. It was like I was in a trance. My body working on its own.

"What the hell Ana? You don't even play chess." Elliot growled.

I looked up at his scowling face. "You're anyway losing Elliot so just do it. Trust me, I know what I'm saying."

He picked his hand to touch the bishop. He paused, hesitating.

"Dammit, Elliot just fucking do it!" He immediately complied.

I don't know what it is about me cursing that makes people listen me instantly. Maybe I should do it more often.

Jose's smug grin wiped off his face. He frowned as he looked down.

All this while he was enjoying the tensed emotions on Elliot's face.

But when he looked at the game, he stilled. Clearly he wasn't expecting that move.

Then he looked up at see me. His facial expressions changed as soon as he saw it was me.

He almost seemed scared, worried.

He looked down, way more tensed then he was a minute ago. He dragged his queen backwards, preparing for defense instead of the attack.

I picked up the white queen and captured his knight. He thought for a moment what would be his next move.

All the game depended on his move now. If he could guess my strategy now then I'll have to make a new one.

He brought his hand up. I crossed my index and middle finger behind my back.

Then he picked up the rook and captured my knight. I let out a breathe I didn't realize I was holding on.

I finally moved my queen and brought it on the next block to his king, knowing that my bishop was backing her up.

"Check and mate." I announced.

The circle remained hushed. No one spoke anything. Everyone's eyes were zeroed at the game.

Then all of sudden a big applause erupted the silence.

People were hooting and whistling and clapping. My focus remained on Jose who was looking at me with disbelieving eyes.

I smirked. I couldn't help but say "Game's over. You lose."

And my brain eroded into fireworks.

Hot white pain burst in my head. My legs wobbled beneath me, unable to support my weight any longer.

 _Game's over. You lose._

I couldn't breathe. My hand flew to my neck in desperation. My mouth opened, gasping for air but failed.

 _Game's over. You lose._

I remembered. I've played chess. Not once, not twice. I have played chess a million times. I was a champion in chess. I remembered it all.

Chess.

School.

Scholarship.

Alaska.

Christopher.

 _Christopher._

It didn't make any sense but at the same time it made all the sense.

I knew Christopher. I don't know how but I knew him. I knew how to play chess. I knew how to defeat anyone in less than ten minutes.

 _Chess_.

I knew how to play it like a champion.

But how could I remember playing a game that I was positive I've never played my entire life? Never watched either.

I didn't know the basic rules, never learnt them. Yet I just defeated the person who was winning over the national ranked player.

 _Game's over. You lose._

I felt sick. Nauseated.

My heart was pounding against my ribs, hitting them to come out of my chest.

My vision dazed.

The firecrackers in my head became bombs as they exploded.

"Whoa, you okay?" Elliot's voice faintly rang in my ear.

I couldn't look at him. My eyes were still fixed on Jose's. He looked at me in concern and something else... was that regret?

My glazed stare registered something else on his face too.

Suffering.

Like he knew what was happening to me and he suffered with me.

Warm familiar hands landed on my shoulders . I was turned.

Christian spoke in my ear. "Ana. Calm down. Try to breathe."

"Get me out of here." My voice came out breathless. I could feel my body trembling.

Next thing I knew I was lifted under strong arms and carried out of the park.

"Hang on babe. I'm taking you to the room. Just keep breathing."

I heard him say in pauses. He breathing was ragged. I could tell he was running.

Wind was flowing in east direction. Soft grass was crunching against his footsteps. I was cradled tightly against his chest.

A couple stopped about ten steps away from us to see what was wrong with me.

I was in that vigilant state again. Where my senses came up to their fullest.

I knew the exact moment as we entered my dorm room. I tried to suck in air once more and it worked this time.

I could finally breathe.

"Jesus Ana, you're so cold."

Christian carried me into our room, swiftly tugging me into the bed.

He pulled up the covers on me then snatched the one from his bed and put that on top of me as well.

"I remember." I said out loud. My voice barely audible.

My body was weak from fighting against the lack of oxygen earlier.

Unconsciousness pulled me deep. But I had to tell him what I remembered.

It was important more than anything.

"I know where he is." I managed to get it out clearer this time.

"Who?" C asked as he stroked my hair.

I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. "Christopher. I know where to find him."

Darkness was forcefully drowning me in itself.

It took all my energy to fight against it. I had to spit it out before I faint.

"Where?" C asked "Where Ana?"

I forcefully let out the words caught in my throat.

"The Brooke"

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 **Don't forget to review. Thank you for reading it.**

 **Kaishi Springs. xoxo**


	4. Christian 4

**Hey everyone. I couldn't thank you enough for your support. I'm glad you're liking my story. Please recommend it to your other friends too if you think my story is worth sharing.**

 **Disclaimer : Apart from the names of the characters, I own everything in this story. Strictly, my copyrights.**

 **CHAPTER - 4**

 **Christian**

I WATCHED ANASTASIA'S UNCONSCIOUS form for a long time, probably hours.

She looked so peaceful lying there.

Nothing like her distressed and fearful face she usually slept with these days.

Her nightmares were getting worse, if not already at their worst.

But this was no nightmare, she was having a panic attack in full daylight with a crowd of spectators around her.

Everyone saw it, everyone witnessed her condition.

Something was terribly wrong with her. I think she knew it too. She had to.

I was going out of my mind trying to make sense of what she said before passing out. She said she knew where Christopher was.

What had he got to do with her condition? Why did his topic come up whenever she was like this?

She said she never saw him. I knew they never saw each other. Never met.

Yet she kissed me last night, thinking she was kissing _him_.

They have got to have some deep connection. I wasn't sure if I liked that.

Actually, I was sure.

I didn't like that. Not even a bit.

 _I_ wanted to be the one who she sees the way she saw me last night, thinking it was _him_ she was seeing.

I wanted to be seen as someone that precious to her.

Nobody, no-fucking-body ever saw me like that.

Not even the bitches who I fucked. But Anastasia saw me. And what's the catch here?

That she wasn't actually seeing _me_ , she was seeing my brother through me.

But this wasn't about me.

This was about how the hell did they know each other when he wasn't even here from past four years.

I knew Anastasia was in Iowa till freshman year. It was her home town, she lived there.

She had told me once that she has never visited any other state. Georgia was the first place she had come by her own.

I was curious about why she transferred here for her sophomore year.

She had told me she never planned to. She always wanted to attend Iowa State University. But then she had this sudden urge since her graduation to come here.

"I don't even know anyone here. Neither was I ever interested in coming to Georgia." She had said.

"I tried avoiding it for a year. That was my limit. I feel like I was being compelled to come here. Like, I wanted to stay here to find someone. It's crazy."

At that time I also thought it was damn crazy. Maybe she was just making a fool of either me or herself.

Now if I think about it, it was starting to make sense.

What if Christopher was the reason she came here?

But how's that even possible? It didn't make any sense.

Damn! This girl was making me also go insane along with her.

And now she had brought Christopher into the picture.

 _Christopher._

I never told anyone about him.

No one in the campus knew that I ever had a twin brother.

It was like he had disappeared into thin air. Just me and our parents knew he ever existed. And few record files.

Thinking about him always hurts.

I still couldn't believe he ran away like that. He couldn't last a day without me, just like I can't.

I tried telling others that he might be in danger. I was sure of it.

What type of runaway would leave without basic necessities?

Besides, he never had a reason to go anyway.

We had awesome parents, awesome childhood and awesome teenage life. I was a good brother to him and so was he.

What could have I possibly missed that sent him away like that?

No. Nothing. That meant he had to be kidnapped or something.

But when no ransom call came, no dead body was found anywhere and no one reported to missing person ads with a twenty-five grand reward, he was declared as a runaway.

All the files were closed and my parents had to go on with their lives with an only son. I had to go on without my twin soul.

Now this girl who I had met not three months before, this girl who was making me feel strange emotions, this girl over whom I felt the need to protect her and take care of her.

She had brought my darkest secret, my deepest wound above the surface.

What was I supposed to do? Tend her because she was losing her mind or believe her and look for my long lost brother?

 _The brook._

That's what she had said. She said it like it was taking all her will to let those words out.

As if she was fighting over something invisible that was stopping her from saying it.

She'd said it like it was the answer to everything possibly wrong with her and my life.

But what the hell was it?

The brook?

It could be anything. A person, a place, a thing, an event, hell even a movie.

She has to tell me more about it. I couldn't go anywhere with just that.

I needed more, much more than just 'The brook'

I looked at her again.

 _Goddamn, she was so beautiful_.

Perfect bony-structured heart-shaped face. High cheekbones, but not sharp enough to steal the touch of her innocence. A cute little upturned nose.

Full round pink lips that any man would kill for. And her eyes that were right now closed, covered by extra long soft lashes.

Her eyes were a deep steely and determined shade of grey. A shade that exactly matched the grey flecks of my eyes.

For some unknown reason, it thrilled me.

The idea of having a part of her in me excited me like nothing else.

My eyes fell on her closed ones. Watching her tangled eyes lashes did something to me.

Unable to stop myself I moved my hand over to the rebellious curl that was covering her left eye partially.

I loved her brunette perm curls.

They always bounced along with her mood swings, giving an indication before-hand.

Ever so gently, I tucked it carefully behind her ear. Yet, she stirred causing me to freeze.

She moaned weakly in pain.

I didn't want her to be in pain. I wish I could take it away somehow.

It angered me that I couldn't.

I knew she was dreaming again.

Fuck how much I wanted to fight her nightmares for her.

Only if she would remember them or talk to me about them. She never did either.

"Please don't leave me." she mumbled sleepily.

I took her in my arms, bringing her body on top of mine as I settled on her bed.

"Shh, I'm right here. You're safe." I murmured knowing it was no good, as usual.

But somehow, miraculously, it worked this time.

Maybe it was because she was awakening from her unconsciousness but nonetheless, she was coming out of her dreaming trance.

I almost jumped up in happiness. A huge smiled formed on my face... and instantly faded when I saw her face.

Large teardrops were forming in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

Her eyes were so fucking sad it stung in my chest.

She was crying. Why the hell was she crying?

"Ana?" I called out softly.

She kept looking down.

A sob broke from her, shaking her whole of her fragile body against mine.

I embraced her tightly.

"What's wrong?" I enquired.

She didn't reply, only cried harder. Something told me that she was deliberately avoiding my eyes.

"Look at me Anastasia."

She didn't listen to me.

I grabbed her chin in my thumb and forefinger and tilted her head, forcing her to look at me.

She still didn't. She looked past me.

"Babe, please look at me." I insisted.

She finally turned her eyes towards me after what seemed like a million years, with a heart-shattering look in them.

"Please tell me what's wrong?"

"He left me." she blurted out.

"Who?"

"Christopher. He left me Christian. I was right there, he left me." She sobbed harder.

I stroked her hair in comfort. I was at loss of what to say here.

Even through all this insane shit going on, I felt anger heating up in my head. The selfish part of me cursing Christopher.

 _Damn to my brother all the way in hell. Damn him for doing that to her._

I didn't get why or how she dreamt about him or what was it all about. But how could he leave her?

How could he leave someone like her in such a crumbling state? He was out of his mind for sure.

Her sobs gradually subsided. She sniffed and then stiffened.

I thought she might need some time alone. I reluctantly let go of her.

"I'll uhh.. I'll be back later."

I started to get up as she called out my name. "C"

I turned to her. "Yeah?"

She didn't look at me but I could see her cheeks were flushed.

"Don't leave." she choked out.

And of course I didn't.

I couldn't.

I won't repeat my brother's mistake for leaving this amazing girl.

He was the idiot, not me.

"I'm not going anywhere Anastasia." I promised her.

"Come here." She patted on the side of her bed. I sat down again, unsure what to do next.

Ana brought her arms up to my neck and snuggled closer in me.

My hands automatically went around her, trapping her within me.

It felt so right! Her head rested on my shoulder.

I took a whiff of her fruity and frosty smell. It was messing with my mind, in a good way though.

"Don't ever leave." She whispered.

"Never." I said back earnestly.

And just like that, I knew.

I knew it would all be fine.

That we'd get over this. Christopher, her nightmares, _'the brook'._

Somehow, we'd get through all of this. Together.

Me and her.

For now, I embraced her in my arms, comforting her while she grieved over the person who had left both of us.

"WHAT ARE WE EXACTLY doing Ana?"

I asked her for the tenth time.

We had been sitting like this from past five hours searching everything we can find on _The brook._

From my research I'd found out a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson named "The Brook", few landscapes of rives and brooks and a few places named so.

One of them was a restro & bar at Tulsa and a live music venue at Southampton, U.K.

As far as I knew Christopher, he would've never gone to UK, neither did he have any great interest in music.

Still believing that he left me when he couldn't have, visiting UK might not be that big of a surprise to me.

I showed Anastasia both the places that I came up with.

None of them were what she needed.

Then she saw what word I had put in search engine and corrected me.

"It not 'brook' its ' _brooke'._ Add an E after K."

"How do you know how it spells? What exactly are we looking for?"

"I don't know either of the answers. I just know it spells like that and I am looking for something that would trigger something."

She went back to her work.

Another person would have gone lost it by now.

Luckily, I had mastered in patience long time back.

Also the fact that I knew whatever was happening with Anastasia was abnormal, kept me from falling off the edge.

Sighing I added an E to the word in search engine and began searching again.

What I came up with was an animal welfare organization and an animal hospital. Both in UK.

I knew I'd reached a dead-end.

No matter how unhinged things were, I knew without a fact my brother could never go there.

Still I asked Anastasia if that was what she was looking for.

The nasty look on her face made it clear that I shouldn't have asked something so obvious.

Did I mention she could be scary sometimes? Like really scary?

The sun had set back a long time ago. Anastasia was so engrossed in her laptop that I was sure she wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Taking a break, I went to fix a sandwich for myself.

It was the first time I cooked something, though it wasn't really cooking.

Still I dreaded taking the first bite.

 _I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die._

Christ! What could happen worse? I'll get a stomach infection and a week's off? At least the latter part was appealing.

Preparing myself I took a big bite of my chicken sandwich with extra cheese.

 _Hmmm_. _Not bad._

I finished my meal and waited for a few minutes to make sure I was still fine.

When nothing happened I decided to make one for Anastasia too, now that my cooking was proven safe for consumption.

I handed Anastasia the plate which she took from me without lifting her head.

Her eyes remained fixed on whatever she was seeing in her laptop.

She took a bite and immediately threw her head back as she closed her eyes, savoring the taste.

"Mmmmmhhhmmm" She let out a long moan.

Jesus! Dare if I say it did something to me.

"Who made this?"

"I did. While you were so engrossed in your research."

Her eyes widened in disbelief "Shut up. You can't cook."

"Well I did just now." I shrugged.

She shook her head, still not able to believe. "You should cook more often then."

I chuckled. She took a bite and moaned again.

Listening to her, I wanted to make her moan again. Whatever it took.

If she could moan like that just from my cooking, I wonder how much she would moan if I did something else to her.

 _Pull your mind out of gutter, Grey._

I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality.

I needed to get laid, fast.

Else I was afraid I was going to lose my only best friend.

I don't think she would appreciate it if I made a move on her.

It had been a shock to me that since the time I've moved in with her I haven't fucked anyone.

Maybe that's why I had been fantasizing so much about Ana lately.

Who knows maybe that was the reason I was attracted to her.

 _Or maybe being attracted to her is the reason you haven't fucked anyone else._

What the hell! Where were these thoughts coming from?

I need to stop thinking so much.

Analyzing things to their depth has never been my forte.

I usually end up messing everything. I needed to think of something else.

"Found anything?" I asked Ana as a distraction for myself.

I shouldn't have done that. Or maybe I should've.

Her facial expressions changed immediately. She sat more stiffly now.

Her lips turned into a grimace and her eyes hardened into steel. She turned the laptop to me. I bent down to have a closer look at it.

A blogger's website was opened with an article two years old, by the blogger seeking out help for a recently turned psychotic friend.

"What is this about?"

She pointed out at the article.

"She says her friend started getting these terrifying nightmares. At days she would cry about some 'Pinnacle race' or 'the brooke'. She used to yell about "the Brooke" being a horrible town. Nobody listened to her.

People said she started hallucinating after a while and one day she suddenly started exclaiming 'I remember' while sitting in her class. She repeatedly said that enough number of times that the teacher told her to leave the class. After that no one saw her till the end of the day."

Anastasia stopped and took a deep breath. Her eyes watered. I could tell that she was scared to tell what happened next.

Whatever she'd just told was almost exactly happening with her.

Except that she had a better control over her emotions and it was only me who knew about all this.

There was another difference.

"You never said anything about Pinnacle race." I stated

"Yeah, I don't know what that is. Neither does it ring any bell to me."

"What about the town? The Brooke?"

She shook her head sadly.

"There's no such town as The Brooke in the world, C. I checked it everywhere. It simply doesn't exist."

"What happened next, Ana? What happened at the end of the day to the girl?"

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. I figured whatever happened was pretty bad.

I took her hand and entwined her fingers with mine.

Avoiding how good and right her hand felt in mine, I looked into her eyes and squeezed her hand gesturing my support to her.

"Tell me." I encouraged her.

Anastasia continued reluctantly.

"She was found lying unconscious near the pool area of the school. Blood was all around her head. She was taken to hospital where she stayed in coma for two weeks. After finally waking up, she was diagnosed with amnesia and later on admitted into a mental hospital because of her erratic behavior."

I was stunned.

Speechless.

Scared

I didn't know what to say.

"No one knew who or what caused her head injury. She was just in high school, Christian" Tears filled her eyes and fell freely down her face.

Without hesitation I pulled her into me. Her arms promptly came around my neck as she held me closer.

"I'm scared C, what if something like that happens to me? What if I don't remember you?"

Her words twisted deep in my soul.

This crazy girl!

Her priority wasn't her health but it was remembering me.

 _Me as 'C', as Christian and not me as Christopher_.

Damn these emotions jumping in my chest.

I pulled her away from, me not so much, just enough to look into her eyes. I cupped her face in my palms.

"Listen to me Anastasia Steele, I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me. Do you get that?"

She nodded distantly. But she never blinked or looked away from my eyes.

Her breathing changed, becoming more labored as she leaned further into my touch.

I suddenly realized the closeness of our body and how good she felt against me. My thumb started caressing her cheek.

Her skin was so soft, so flawless. I kept looking into her eyes. I could swear I saw her soul reflecting in them.

Her gaze dropped down from mine, and fell down on my lips.

Without my permission, my eyes did same. Her lips looked so soft. I had this urge to taste them again.

"Christian" She whispered, her voice raspy.

"Anastasia" I mimicked her with same husky voice.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against mine.

My mind went into fumes.

My lips reacted to hers with their own accordance.

I cupped her face closer to me, not leaving any space between us.

She nibbled by bottom lip as her tongue hesitantly entered my mouth. My tongue instantly found hers and twisted with her, creating their own sort of dance.

Her mouth tasted so sweet. I couldn't get enough of it. Like an addiction, I was beginning to crave for them.

She fisted her hands into my hair as she kissed me passionately.

I let her take over the control deciding to sit back and enjoy the kiss.

This was how our first kiss was supposed to happen.

She breathlessly came up and untangled her lips from mine.

She took a much needed breath but kept her lips strained against my mouth. Her eyes opened and found mine.

The intensity behind them turned my blood into hot water, causing it to flow faster through my veins. My heart pumped faster.

"Christian" She croaked out in a rough, sexy and hot voice.

I couldn't think straight. I needed her mouth.

Bringing her lips back to mine I kissed her roughly.

Pouring all my confusing and strange emotions into the kiss.

Her mouth fit perfectly against mine. Like it immediately recognized hers. Again.

But the fact that enthralled my heart was that she was finally kissing _me._

She was rasping out _my_ name.

She wasn't kissing me as Christopher.

She was kissing me as me, as C, as Christian.

.

.

 **Don't forget to review. Any suggestions and advice is warmly welcomed.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs xoxo~**


	5. Anastasia 5

**Firstly, I love you people for providing me so much support. You readers are the best in the whole wide world. Secondly, possess45 I just loved your review. So this chapter is dedicated for you. And also my regular reviewer eminshall30. I really admire how you take time to read my story and correct me if I'm wrong anywhere or just simply give your thoughts. Thank you so much.**

 **Disclaimer : Copyrights of this story belong to me, except the names of the characters.**

 **P.S - Let me know what you think of the story and get an excerpt in your PM's for the next chapter.**

* * *

 **WARNING : THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ADULT CONTEXT**

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **Anastasia**

I KNEW THE END was coming but I had never anticipated it being like this.

I glanced at my surroundings to see the chaos everywhere.

We should be running for our lives. But I knew it was a vain attempt. Nothing could be done now.

And I was to blame for all the deaths. I was the reason who was dying along with them now.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Might as well start counting them now.

 _That's it. I'm going to die now._

Even though this realization was shocking enough, it wasn't me who I felt fear for.

It was him.

He didn't deserve this.

He wasn't supposed to be here, dying with me. Because of me.

I looked into his eyes.

Those sky blue eyes that were eclipsed by deep worried grey clouds. I put those clouds in there.

It was because of me that those beautiful eyes held such a heart shattering agony before dying.

He was about to die here with me and I couldn't do anything to prevent it.

I was a pathetic failure.

I thought that when I would win, when I'd finally overcome them, it would be the happiest moment of my life.

Turned out it was the saddest.

Yes, all the defiance, all the pain were worth it. Worth defeating _them._

I didn't care about my life. I was prepared to die if I had to make that sacrifice.

But I wasn't prepared to sacrifice _him_.

He was far more worth than all this mess. Way much more.

If I'd known his life was on the line, I would have immediately sufficed. I would have yielded and handed myself to them.

I wouldn't have cared about the world or the need to protect others.

Because he was my world.

And now I was taking my world along with me to rot in hell.

I was the most selfish person ever.

I didn't know what to say, how any apology in the world could lighten the blow of what I'd done.

How I had endangered his life. How I had killed him.

Yes, I killed him.

For that, I deserved worse than burning in fire of hell for that.

He walked over to me. His eyes all over my face that was filled with remorse.

But he wasn't paying attention to my expressions.

His gaze raked over my forehead, my cheekbones, my eyes, nose and at last my lips.

He was scanning my features, memorizing them for one last time.

I knew he was doing that because I was doing the same.

My own eyes roamed over his impeccable face.

Broad forehead, fascinating eyes, hard structured square jaw yet gentle cheeks and immensely soft, soft lips.

My stare zeroed on those lips.

I wanted to kiss those lips. Taste them against mine for the last time.

Imprint the memory of how soft they feel as I die.

I wanted to blow my last breathe inside those lips. Maybe somehow that would help him survive.

Maybe he was thinking the same. I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to kiss me too.

 _What had I ever done to deserve this man? To deserve his love?_

Absolutely nothing.

In fact, I'd done everything _not_ to deserve him. He should hate me.

He should be cursing me every bad word in every possible language, not wanting to kiss me.

But that was him, no matter what I did he loved me.

He took me into his arms and I went to him like a moth to flame.

I couldn't get enough of him no matter how closely I held him, neither could he.

"I- I'm so s-sor" I couldn't complete my sentence. I burst into tears.

"Shh..." Christopher whispered soothingly.

"Listen to me Mia. I am proud of you. You are the strongest and most amazing person in the world. You have nothing to be sorry for, okay?"

I couldn't believe this person.

How could he be so forgiving knowing what I have brought him into?

"I love you Christopher."

He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine for the last time.

He kisses were soft and gentle and remorseful.

 _Why would he have any remorse?_

I desperately kiss him back, relishing the texture of lips against mine.

"I love you Mia. I'll live in you forever, just like you'll live in me."

I didn't really get what he was trying to say. He said it in an odd way. It made me suspicious.

He was up to something.

"What do you mean Christopher?"

He kissed my lips softly once more.

"I'm sorry Mia. I really am sorry."

I tasted tears on my lips but this time they aren't mine. They were his.

Screw suspicion, I was starting to get worried. Extremely worried.

"Christopher?"

He shut his eyes in frustration. He was battling something within him.

When he opened his eyes they were filled with determination.

But he still looked conflicted.

I could tell whatever decision he had made, it wasn't an easy one.

"Try not to forget me."

Before I could respond, he lifted me up so swiftly that all I could do was gasp loudly.

Without warning I was being thrown into the air.

I tried to scream but no voice came from my throat.

It felt like I was truly flying, but I knew better. I wasn't flying, I was falling.

Then I fell.

I landed painfully hard on a solid steel ground.

Wind knocked out of my lungs, leaving me breathless momentarily. Tears sprang to my eyes at the impact of my fall.

When I was finally able to absorb my surrounding, I saw that I as in a cylindrical cage. More like a container.

Floor and the ceilings were made of steel while the glass circular wall clearly showed the outdoors.

A sharp deep mechanic sound pierced through the chaos, indicating some kind of buzzer being pressed.

Just as soon as the sound ended, I saw notices a glass door in my cage that I didn't see before.

A glass door that was rapidly sliding, closing down the only exit.

My unnatural instincts kicked in. I rushed towards the door.

I have always been praised for my super fast reflexes. I could make it out before the door closed.

But the injury in left leg was slowing me down.

Exactly seven seconds before I reached the doors I knew I couldn't make it.

Five seconds later the door slammed shut, trapping me in.

"Noooooo!" I shouted hysterically.

Closed spaces never felt comfortable. They always seemed to suffocate me. I banged on the glasses in a failed attempt to break them. They were thicker than the human skull.

"No, No, No. NOOO!" I turned to my right to try for another spot.

Maybe I would find some weak side where the glass could be easily broken from.

But as I turned, I froze to the ground when I saw Christopher.

He was watching me. He saw me struggling with hard glassy eyes and set jaw.

Yet he didn't help me.

His hand were laid on a big large red button. I realized he was the one who trapped me here.

Betrayal.

I don't know why but betrayal was the first feeling that seized through me after seeing him.

I knew I deserved this. After all I was the reason his life was in danger in danger now. They would soon come to get us.

So why was he doing this? Did he want to kill me himself? Perhaps in a more torturous and painful way?

Or maybe he was doing me a favor. Maybe he would make my death quick and painless.

I should be bracing myself for whatever he was planning to do to me yet it freaked me out.

I couldn't stop shaking. His face remained stoic. I couldn't guess anymore what he was thinking. I have to trust my instincts now. Or maybe trust him.

But what he did next broke my heart a thousand times.

I wasn't able to believe it. I refused to believe what was happening in front of my eyes.

He walked away.

He

was

walking

away.

He. Walked. Away. From. Me.

He never ever walked away from me. He promised that he would ever leave me. Never let go of me. Yet he was walking away now.

"Noooooo!" I screamed so high, my voice was turning sore. "Don't leave me! Please don't leave me."

He kept going. Distancing himself from me.

"Please stay! Come back. Please don't leave me!"

Then, all of sudden the ground opened up beneath me and I was falling down.

I was falling down, trapped in a container.

The rapid pull of gravity made me bounce all the way in the cage.

My back, my legs, my arms, my chest, every part of me was screaming in pain every time they came in contact with solid of glass or steel side of the container.

I was suffocating. The pain made it unbearable for me to let out even a single breath.

My lungs begged for the air. I realized I was dying.

My mouth opened to let out a blood curling scream...

...

And it got stuck in my throat as soon as urgent lips descended on mine.

A warm tongue roughly entered my mouth.

Shocked, I opened my mouth in a surprise.

But it only deepened the kiss. The kiss that was forcing me away from that horrible dream.

His lips, moving against mine, were demanding and desperate at same time.

His tongue twisted and caressed mine in a way that I had to let out an inescapable moan.

Somewhere back in my mind I knew that I recognized these lips.

Without thinking, I kissed him back as passionately as I could.

Strong hands captured my face, bringing me even more closer like it was possible.

Forgetting all my despair and fear and heart break, I wrapped myself around the huge body that hovered over me.

I lost myself in the kiss.

I dig deeper into his mouth like I was mining a priceless diamond within it.

My lips wrapped around his tongue as I sucked onto it.

"Ana."

A growling sound came. I could feel the vibrations, the tremors passing from his body through mine when he spoke my name.

Our hands were everywhere, ranging over each other's bodies, relishing the touch of each other.

His kisses traveled down to my jaw. Licking and sucking my neck.

He found a soft spot just above my collar bone where he nipped roughly.

His hands reached up to cup my breasts with a gentle pressure.

"Ahh!" I couldn't help but moan. I felt hot. So very, very hot. Flushed.

My breaths came out in rapid paces. Desire pooled down my belly. The area between my thighs was burning.

My hands fumbled through the fabric of his shirt wanting to get it out of the way.

Christian understood my wishful need.

He broke apart from me only for a second as he pulled up his shirt, revealing hard muscles and perfectly cut abs.

I took the opportunity to rip my shirt that left my upper body naked except for the sports bra I was wearing.

His body slammed back to mine instantly. I violently grabbed him from his hair as I crushed my lips to his.

My hands explored his hard muscles, his muscular arms and chest, his perfect abs.

I wanted him to kiss me senseless but he was taking his own time, as if savoring my taste.

Every other part of my body was getting jealous of my mouth. I wanted his lips on each part of me.

I was trembling with need.

The tender spot between my legs was throbbing badly now. My breasts grew extremely sensitive while me nipples hardened like pebbles.

His hands roamed down my shoulders, through my ribs, my abdomen, my hips and rested on the either cheeks of my ass.

All this time, his mouth continued to devour mine.

When he broke away to let me breathe, I rasped out the words that I didn't know would change my life.

Not in a good way.

"C, please don't stop."

His response was immediate.

"Wasn't planning to."

Without wasting another nano-second, my hands found their way down to his boxers.

I slipped my thumbs through the fabric, my fingers gripping the elastic, unsure what to do next.

There was no questioning if I wanted this, if I was ready.

Because I was. Without a doubt.

Still, there was a bit of a natural hesitation which I assumed would be present in most girls about to lose their virginity.

Yes, I was a virgin.

But Christian didn't know that. Neither was I planning to break him the news at this moment.

I didn't want him to stop or back off hearing this. I didn't want to feel ashamed due to my inexperience. And I certainly didn't want him to find me unattractive because of this.

So I didn't say anything.

He noticed my hesitation and thankfully took control in his hands.

He pulled down his boxers to reveal his gloriously naked body. My jay dropped open.

 _Holy mother of mosses!_

No wonder girls wanted him. He looked like a marvelous sculpted piece of art.

Like he wasn't created, he was designed. Every part, every muscle of his body screamed perfection.

He didn't give me much time to admire the view.

His body rested on top of mine. His hands reached behind my back, wrestling through my bra's clasp. He unhooked it, ripping it off.

My breasts spilled out freely. He took his time to let in my naked sight. My nipples hardened impossibly more under his intense stare.

"Fuck! You're beautiful Anastasia"

Before I could blink, he was down on me. His tongue swirling around one of my breasts while he roughly cupped another one.

"Ahh!" I cried out. He nipped and teased me.

Then he finally took me into his mouth, sucking unbearably hard.

"Oh Christian!"

Words escaped my mouth unknowingly. My head felt heavy, drunk in ecstasy.

I on was fire. Burning from desires and thirst which only he could conquer over.

I needed him. Now.

"Christian..." I begged. Not able to let out what I wanted to say as he bit my hard nub gently.

I whimpered, quivering with need.

I was floating in sensations. Becoming a sensation myself.

His other hand reached down my panties. His fingers found their way through the lacy fabric, teasing my wet folds.

I couldn't wait any longer.

My hands left his back and curled around my panties, desperately trying to get rid of them.

"Wait here." He whispered in my ear before backing off and walking away.

My body immediately missing his warm weight.

I turned my head to see where he was going.

The first thing I noticed was that the room was no longer dark. Dawn has broken through the night sky. Sun was lightening up the room enough to reveal his sexy silhouette.

I saw him bending down under the bed, grabbing out a bag. His suitcase.

He opened and rumbled through the clothes furiously. Taking out one of the pants, he searched through its pockets.

My eyes furrowed in confusion before I saw him taking out a foiled packet.

I closed my eyes cursing myself silently. Of course.

 _How stupid of me not to think of the protection._

Blood rushed to my face when I heard him tearing open the packet.

He walked down back to my side. His gaze briefly swiped through my naked body before settling on my face again.

My blood boiled under the look he gave me. It scared me. Purely intense with raw passion.

"You look lovely when you blush Ana." He said as he settled on top of my again. His voice husky and raw with hunger.

"I want to make every inch of you blush like that"

I whimpered at his hot words. I needed him inside me. Right now.

His fingers reached between us. In a flash, two of his fingers plunged inside me. I cried out, unable to contain the pain and pleasure of his touch.

His kissed me, taking all my cries within him.

"Shh... try to relax"

His fingers continued to devour me, pulling in and out. His thumb started stroking my clit. It became too much.

"Relax" he cooed.

My body obeyed this time, losing itself in sky-high pleasure.

Tingles spread through my spine and belly. I could feel my legs stiffening. My toes curling involuntarily.

C seemed to understand what was happening to me. He fingers picked up pace, working them was faster inside me.

"Let it go Anastasia. Let it go for me."

I did.

I let go of myself as a lighting orgasm sparked in my body.

Fireworks went off behind my eyes. I cried out his name loudly. Taking in all the pleasure.

It felt so good. My muscles pained in a delicious way.

It was then that it all happened.

The strange pleasing current that went through my body was what triggered it.

Visions and memories that attacked my mind.

My cries turned into shattering screams. Unearthly shrieks pierced through me.

Memories after memories.

My head was pounding with pain. Pulse throbbing beneath my eyelids.

I couldn't bear it. I couldn't bear the pressure. The reality of facing the truth.

I screamed and screamed and screamed.

I screamed till my throat was so hoarse that I couldn't even let out a whimper. Then I settled to sobbing quietly while my mind replayed the gut-wrenching truth.

Gradually, I became aware of sheets wrapped around me. I was engulfed by big warm arms.

My body was being rocked back and forth. Comforting words were being whispered to me which failed to comfort me.

Christian's shaky voice fell on my ears.

"It's alright. You're safe babe. It's alright. You're safe. You're safe."

But I wasn't. I wasn't safe at all.

I wrapped my limbs around Christian and clung onto him as tightly as I could.

I wanted to feel the safety that I always felt there. I wanted his touch to erase everything I was remembering. But he couldn't do that. It wasn't in his power.

Of what all was done with me. I remembered it all now.

I remembered the torture. The pain.

I remembered my body being used. Being brutally abused.

No, I wasn't a virgin. My virginity was stripped away from me a long time back.

I remembered my mind being tormented. That entire psychological trauma.

I remembered every god damn thing.

I remembered Mia.

I remembered Pinnacle Race

I remembered the Brooke.

I remembered _him._

And I would give anything in the world to forget it all over. I would pay any price, do anything to repress these memories.

They were killing me from inside out. And I couldn't do anything to stop them from bombarding me.

So I stayed there in his arms, silently crying for my loss. For what all happened to me, for what all happened to _him._

 _Christopher._

Oh my god!

 _CHRISTOPHER!_

 _"_ You're safe Ana. I am sorry babe. I swear I won't touch you. I am so sorry." Christian repeated again and again.

I cringed.

He thought it was him, his fault.

He thought I was a mess because he touched me when he was the one who kept me borderline sane.

I was damaged long before he even came in my life.

I tried to compose myself as I spoke "Christian, I'm sorry for acting like this. I-"

"Don't!" He cut me off angrily.

"Don't ever apologize. You're the most amazing person in this world and you've nothing to be sorry for. You got that?"

His words brought back the memory of his brother.

How devastated C must have felt living without his twin. Like he never existed.

But he did.

Christian wasn't the only one who knew that.

I have to get him back. It didn't matter if Christopher betrayed me or left me. I would get him back to his brother, to his family.

I won't do that for his or my sake. I would do it for Christian. He deserved his brother back.

Looking outside I noticed it was way past the early morning I was expecting. My eyes darted to clock to see it was three minutes past eight.

"How long... how long have I been, uh, like this?" I asked him.

"More than an hour or so" he answered back dejectedly.

I turned back to him. I cupped his face gently in my hands and leaned to down to kiss him softly.

"It wasn't your fault C." I said when I pulled back.

"But it won't be like this anymore. I'll make it alright. I'll fight to bring myself back. I'll fight to bring Christopher back. Your brother will be back, C."

Saying that, I went to my closet and violently wore the first thing my hands felt. Luckily it was a blue sundress. I turned back to C.

For a few minutes he looked at me like I had really lost my mind.

He was finding it hard to believe which was totally understandable since he didn't know a thing.

Even if I told him, he would never believe it.

"How?" He finally asked.

I went to him and gave him another chaste kiss on his mouth.

"I need to find Jose"

With that I shot up and ran straight to the door before he could respond.

I FOUND JOSE NEAR his locker.

"Jose I need to talk to you. I remember everything." I said as soon as I reached him.

Not bothering about greeting and small talks. This was urgent. He knew that too.

"What you remember? Some homework from class?"

It was clear from his expression that he knew exactly what I remembered.

Yet why was he acting to be oblivious, I had no clue.

"Come on Jose, you know what I am exactly talking about" I spat.

"Or should I refresh your memory. I am talking about the Brooke, BMHS, the Pinnacle Race and Mia and Christopher. Does any of that ring a bell?"

His stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about Anastasia. Better if you keep your mouth shut so no one calls you crazy."

I blanched. Why was he lying?

"Listen to me Jose Rodriguez, I saved you from that shit. You owe me, so stop pretending like you don't know anything and help me out here. I need to find Christopher. Even if it means going back there. I need to find him and bring him back"

He remained silent. His eyes assessing every word I had said. After what seemed like an eternity, he sighed.

"All right, but not here. You're not safe here"

I had no idea what he was talking about but I knew better than to ask. I nodded frantically. "Let's go the park"

I led him away. As we made our way to the park a familiar voice called out for me.

"Ana, wait!" I threw a glance behind me to see Jack making his way towards me.

"Jack, sorry but I can't talk to you right now. I'll catch up with you later."

He stopped right before me. Looking at me hesitantly.

"Uh, Ana, what I have to say its kinda' important too. But I won't be in your way. Just lemme' know when you get free. It's about The Brooke."

My steps halted. I gaped at him. Jose tensed beside me again.

"You were there too?" I asked, not believing it.

He nodded.

"Come on Ana let's go." Jose commanded but I ignored him.

"Oh god Jack! We need to go back there. We need to find a way to get ourselves back. A friend of mine is trapped there, Jack."

His eyes widened, absorbing the news for one moment while in the next one, his demeanor changed completely.

"I am afraid that's not possible Anastasia." He spoke with a creepy amount of calmness.

All his sweetness disappeared as if it was never there.

He cocked his eyebrow at me. A disturbingly evil smile played on his lips while his eyes sparked up with amusement.

Within in a second the sweet and charming Jack we all knew disappeared, replaced by this terrifying man stand in front of me.

That sweet blushing Jack was all just an act.

And I knew that I was in grave danger.

My instincts kicked in once again.

I could hear murmurs and lazy whining of people around me. The echoed footsteps of others walking. I could even smell the sheet of precipitation forming on Jose's skin.

"Run Anastasia!" He barked out.

I didn't need to be told twice.

I did what he exactly said.

But just as I turned to run in the opposite direction, something smashed against the back of my skull.

Red hot pain shattered through me leaving me momentarily blind.

Tears leaked down my face. My legs gave out and I fell to the flood face-first.

The last thing I saw through my tunneled vision was Christian rushing towards me.

The last thing I heard through my ringing was my name being called.

The last thing I felt through my dulled senses was a strong muscular body standing in front of me, blocking- no- _protecting_ my weak body.

And the last thing I thought through my slowly fading away mind was that _I remember_.

I remembered everything.

Then I faded away.

.

.

 **Don't forget to review. Part One of the story ends here. Part Two is the flashback. Review to get an early excerpt from the next chapters.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs xoxo~**


	6. Anastasia 6

**First of all, a big big big thank you to all my readers and followers on the occasion of gaining 100 followers for this story in just 5 chapters. Also the reviews have been amazing so far. I hope you all keep finding my story interesting like this. Thank you so much for your love and support. You all deserve a flogger each :P**

 **A/N : This story is mine and I own everything about it except the character names.**

* * *

 **Part - II**

 **THE PINNACLE RACE**

 _"Letting the past forget makes you feel better,_

 _But remembering the past makes you stronger."_

 _\- Segev Layani_

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **Scholarship**

I CAME BACK HOME dripping in sweat.

I was exhausted beyond anything. Extra hours in school always left me so drained that I couldn't even walk.

Usually I did not walk back home. My best friend would give me a ride but today she went home early.

Being the captain of our school's basket-ball team, she wasn't supposed to skip the practice sessions.

No one knew the reason why she cut it, so naturally as the vice-captain I had to take on the extra load.

 _Just fucking great._

"Who is it?" A familiar feminine voice called from the kitchen when my bag landed on the floor with a loud thud.

I saw my aunt making her way into the living room. She put on a forced smile, like always when she saw me.

"Hi Ana, how was the school?" Aunt Maggie asked her usual question.

"It was great." I gave my usual answer.

"You want anything?"

"No thanks, I'll be in my room"

Our conversation was scripted up to this point.

After that I would go into my room while she would go back to whatever she wants to do.

Her only appearance was going to be at the end of the day to have silent awkward dinner with me.

Apart from that, breakfast and evenings like these when I came home late were the only occasions we would see each other.

My parents had died almost a year ago in a car crash.

I was left to stay with my aunt who was the last existing member of my family.

She was very young and attractive, just in her late twenties.

Definitely not a woman to have a sixteen year old daughter.

It was clear that she didn't want anything to do with me and I was here for the sake of politeness.

I was a charity case.

My aunt wasn't a bad person. She just didn't want me, or anyone else for that matter, in her personal space.

She was young, attractive and hardworking.

It was her time to party at bars and bring men home and yet she was unfortunately stuck with me.

She never said so, never complained, but I wasn't stupid.

It was so obvious to see when she couldn't even converse normally with me despite her best attempts.

I didn't mind, to be honest. I could totally see where she was coming from.

Sadly none of us could do anything about our situation for now. Not till two more years at least.

After that I would leave for college, but for now we were both helpless.

I would have suggested her sending me to some boarding school if she would have had enough money for that.

She wasn't great on her income being just a hair dresser in the local beauty parlor. Her savings usually were spent into travelling since she was writing a book on wildlife.

That was her passion. Her dream. And now she couldn't travel because of me.

I once asked her to give me the spare keys to the apartment so she could go wherever she wanted to. I could look after myself just fine.

But she explained me that if anyone got to know about it, there was fair chance that the child protection services might interfere as I was still newly adopted.

Which could result in me being taken away by the system and none of us wanted that for me.

So for now, we both were dealing with our situations. Trying to learn to adapt but failing at it miserably.

"You have a visitor in your room." She called just as I opened my bedroom door.

And there she was.

Sitting in the middle of bed, like it was hers.

My best friend.

And the traitor who ditched today's practice without warning.

"Why are you so late today?" Mia asked me, sitting with her legs spread out leisurely on my bed, her arms behind her head.

"I've been waiting for an hour now"

"Well, my ride bailed on me today so I had to walk home. Sorry for keeping you so long." I said sweetly.

She cringed. "Uhh.. about that, I'm sorry."

I dropped heavily on the bed. Exhaustion taking over me.

I closed my eyes for a moment almost falling into a slumber sleep.

My head felt so heavy. So tired.

I wanted to get some rest but knowing Mia since grade two, I figured she wouldn't let me while she was here.

Right on cue, she started speaking again. Disrupting the much needed silence and sleep.

"You look awful." She stated.

"Thanks for letting the vice-captain take the charge today." I replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on. You won't hold onto it if you knew why I was here."

I ignored her reply.

"Why didn't you come today? You know if you keep doing that, you'll be kicked out of the team."

"Doesn't matter. I'm leaving anyway."

"You didn't have to remind me that." I snapped at her.

I didn't want to think about her leaving me.

That was the second worst thing happening in my life. The worst was losing my parents.

I was still grieving over them when I was brought to live with Maggie.

Over the first few months I was a mess.

Maggie would have almost made me go to see a shrink had it not been for Mia convincing her.

Not only that she helped both of us to overcome our lack of communication.

So naturally, Aunt Maggie loved her. But not more than I did.

Mia was my sister, my mother, my best friend and almost my boyfriend.

I loved her to death, would do anything for her. And I knew she would do same for me.

We were supposed to spend our rest of the lives together but now she was leaving.

Apparently, her father got a job he couldn't refuse in California, so they were moving away.

Unlike Mia, her parents never liked Iowa anyway. Which was why they were pretty excited about the move.

"Alright I'm sorry. I'm sad too for leaving you." She said.

"You don't look very sad." I pointed out.

She grinned giving me a mysterious look. "That's because I've got a great, great news for you."

"What is it?"

"Consider this as my farewell gift for you. Now come on. Hop off the bed. I have to talk to you and your aunt."

I didn't like whatever her great, great news was.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea."

She got off the bed and glared at me. "Just shut the hell up and trust me on this. I swear you won't regret it"

She picked her oversized purse from her side and walked out of the bedroom, expecting me to follow her.

I was considering whether I should go out or not when I heard Aunt Maggie calling my name.

 _Screw it! What worst can happen?_

I went out to see both of them sitting in the living room.

I sat on the couch nearest to Mia. Maggie was looking at both of us in confusion, nervously.

Knowing that she didn't had any idea about what was going on either, made me feel better.

We both waited for Mia to tell what the big deal was.

She opened her mouth and the words that came from it made me feel like I should have stayed in my room.

"We all here know that your relations with each other is doomed." She spoke, gesturing at me and Aunt Maggie.

 _Damn Mia! What the heck is your problem?_

I opened my mouth to voice my thoughts but she cut me off.

"Before anyone of you curse at me, I am not here to counsel you or try to bond you. I was just stating the fact."

She pointed at me then.

"You, Anastasia Steele, do not want to be an unnecessary burden on your aunt and neither you're very attached to her. You didn't even know she existed till last year."

That was all true even if stated cruelly.

My father and my aunt weren't close at all. My dad had married my mom and cut all ties with his family for god knows what reason.

I got to know all this from my aunt when I asked her why I never heard of her till my parents had died.

I knew she would have answered why dad abandoned her and rest of the family.

But what was the point?

What would I get besides probably hating my father or his family? Did it matter now? No.

Because they all were dead. And I couldn't live with Maggie if I hated her.

 _Ignorance is bliss._

Therefore, I nodded to agree what Mia had said. Indicating her to continue.

I wanted to see where she was going with all this.

"Maggie, You're a wonderful woman but you have your own life, your own dreams to live. You're certainly not ready to settle or make any sacrifices for Ana."

Aunt Maggie looked at me then looked down, nodding shamefully.

"It's all right Maggie, you do not wish for anything wrong. Ana understands that too and she is completely fine with it."

Both of them looked at me for confirmation. I gave them a small understanding smile.

"So I have something that could help both of you." Mia said. Looking at us expectantly.

"I would like to hear it" Maggie said. I nodded in affirmation too, desperate to know what it was.

"Well a few days earlier, I got selected into this school BMHS that is in Alaska. It is so far the best school in, like, the world! I got a full scholarship based on my sports performance. Can you freaking believe it?"

Her voice Ana up to three octaves by the end of her speech.

Any louder, I would have gone deaf.

She fished out something from her bag and handed me a paper. I saw it was a selection letter from BMHS, congratulating her.

"Brooke Mountain High School." I read the name out loud.

"The Brooke, Alaska. Never heard of the school, or that place."

"You don't know half of the places in Alaska, Ana. It's a small hilly town near Fairbanks. They sent me a map of it."

"You never told me you applied there. And how come I never heard of _'the best school in ,like, the world'_ before?" I asked, using my fingers to quote her.

"It's a very discreet school. Else of course everyone would start applying there. And I never did apply there. See, there's no system of applying or being accepted there. They annually survey a few schools from different states and pick out the best students from there. Then they offer scholarships based on talents of those students."

"Okay. Wow. Congrats. But how does this solve anything for us?" I asked.

She pouted. "Well you see I am going to L.A. As much as I love Iowa, L.A is like 'Ell-Ayyy'! So I was thinking about dropping the scholarship."

I nodded again.

"Alright. Your choice. But you're wasting such a good opportunity. Still I don't see how this is helpful to us."

She smiled mysteriously again. "Well you're right about that. It's an awesome opportunity to be wasted away. So you see, I'm not wasting it. I have decided to give it to you"

I wasn't able to grasp what she was actually saying. While I was trying to process it, Maggie's head snapped up towards Mia.

"Can you do that?" Maggie asked her.

"I _am_ doing it." She replied.

"No I mean, are you allowed to give your scholarship?"

"Not exactly. Ana has to pretend to be me"

"What?" I stood up.

My head swimming with confusion and disbelief.

She held her hands up. "Just hear me out okay?"

She waited for me to get settled. Then continued.

"Look, Dad found out that the schools they select every year just give them a brief report of their best students with their school performance and I.Q score. BMHS do not have any photo or record of me that would prove me as me. Anyone can go there as me."

Her hands went into her bag again and this time came up with a heavy folder. She passed it onto me. I opened it and gasped audibly.

"How did you...?" I couldn't form the question on my tongue. I kept staring at the folder in disbelief.

Inside was a fake student ID and a fake passport with my photo identifying me as Mia Fields. Along that were school report and several test scores of Mia with my photo on them. Also an air ticket to Alaska with name of Mia.

"It's the magic trick that works with this spell known as 'My Parents'." She winked at me.

I passed the letter and the folder to Maggie. She analyzed it all with widened eyes.

"So you, Anastasia Steele are going there as me, Mia Fields and enjoying the best experience of, like, your life. What's more to it? It's a boarding school and you have to pay zero dollars and zero cents to go there." Mia said, clapping excitedly.

"But how can I go there? They selected you not me"

"Because they are fools for not selecting you and we're going make even a bigger fool of them. Everyone in school knows you're way much better than me. You're awesome in basketball, volley ball, soccer and athletics. You're one of the players in chess in, like, the universe with a capital U. Your grades and IQ score are wayyyy higher than mine."

"I agree on that." Maggie said. "But I am not really sure about this, Mia." She said nervously.

I could from the look on her face that though she was concerned about this, she was secretly wanting this to work out.

The little hope on her face gave it all away.

I, on the other hand, was thrilled by the idea. I just needed assurance that it was pretty safe and I would jump in to pack my bags.

"Trust me on this Maggie. It's all being taken care of. I wouldn't have suggested you in first place if it would have seems even a bit risky to me. You know I love Ana like a sister."

She turned to me. "It's all up to both of you to decide. Their semester starts from March so we both you have to leave the week before the spring break. I would be leaving three days after you."

I looked at Aunt Maggie pleadingly. This was the best thing that could ever happen to me.

"You sure about this?" She asked cautiously.

"Yes I trust Mia completely."

"Alright then. Honestly it's convenient for both of us. I just have to convince the others I didn't kill you and hid you in the basement."

"That has been arranged too." Mia interrupted her. "Like I said, just leave it to my parents. They aren't worthless lawyers."

I bloomed with joy. "Wait, does that mean I could tell people there to call me Mi-Mi?"

Mia pouted. She hated when anyone called her that. "Fine"

I launched on her, hugging her fiercely. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

I rambled on jumping excitedly. "This is the best farewell gift I ever got. I could kiss you right now."

She covered her face with her hands, pretending. "Do that and I'll take it all back"

We both laughed. I quickly ducked and gave a sloppy kiss on her cheek. She laughed harder.

"Come on now let me help you for your packing. You need to make arrangements for your travelling too." She truly was the best friend I could ever have.

We both raced to my room and I started packing my old stuff for my new life.

I should've known.

No matter how miserable, an old life is always better than a new one, at least you know what to except from it.

.

.

 **Don't forget to review for an excerpt from the next chapter ;)**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs~xoxo**


	7. Anastasia 7

**CHAPTER 7**

 **Arrival**

"SO DO I HAVE to pretend to be like you or something?"

This was probably my thousandth question since the past two weeks.

I still couldn't believe this was actually happening.

But the chaos and buzz lingering from last few days were definitely a prove to it.

Aunt Maggie and I have bonded a lot over these two weeks. I think that it could have been like this from the start, had we both confronted each other about our insecurities.

Or maybe it was just that now I was finally leaving for my own good, that she felt less burdened and so was able to talk to me more freely.

With Maggie's and Mia's help, I had packed all my winter clothes, shopped for more since I was going to Alaska, and other necessities.

Now I was sitting with my two overstuffed suitcases, waiting for the last hour to pass by so that I could quickly get into the cab that would lead me to the airport and finally get the hell out of here.

"For the billionth time Ana, you don't have to. Now before you get antsy again let me tell you the two reasons behind this. One, which I'm repeating this, like, for the zillionth time, no one knows me there to be suspicious of our personality difference and two, you can't afford to even pretend to be like me."

She smirked.

I opened my mouth and feigned a hurt expression. "You bitch!"

Mia laughed. "You slut!"

And so our usual game began. "You whore!"

"You Cunt"

"Dick licker" I tried to offend her but she merely laughed again.

"Cock sucker" she threw back.

"Ass fucker"

"Shit eater"

"Nose picker"

"Fart Smeller!"

"Eww!" I cried with disgust. "That was horrible. Who does that?"

She shrugged. "It's true. It's actually a job."

"A job to what? Smell farts? Give me a break!"

"Apparently if you Google the ten worst jobs in the world. You'll find it in top five. In Japan, those who are doing some sort of food research visit restaurants where people as subject are made to eat specific food items and then those poor researches have to stand behind them and smell their farts to distinguish between what food's fart smells like what."

I looked at her in shock as I attempted to shook the horrible image forming in my mind of what she just told me.

I have always been good at creative things such as stories and art because of my vivid imagination.

When someone told me something I was rapidly able to imagine it happening.

Unfortunately, moments like these made me regret of my powerful imagination.

"I think I need to throw up." I told her weakly.

She rolled her eyes.

"Quit being so over-reactive. This is the best day of your life. I forbid you to puke on this historically significant date."

I giggled as she tried to mimic her sentence in a manly royal voice.

A knock on my bedroom's door alerted both of us.

"Ana, sweetheart the cab is here." Maggie's muffled voice called from behind the door.

 _Oh! I'm the sweetheart now?_

"I'll be out in five." I called back.

I turned to Mia to see unshed tears in her eyes.

This surprised me because she was never the one to be sentimental.

I walked to her and we hugged each other hard. Whoever says there's nothing more important than your own blood is an idiot.

Mia was the most important person to me. Describing us as soul sisters couldn't do much justice to how we strong we felt foe each other.

And no, we weren't gay if you're thinking that.

We were just us.

She was my everything. I loved her so much I doubt I could ever love anyone even a fraction of it.

Mia was always there when I needed her. She was also there when I didn't need her or anyone else.

In a way, she was almost my mother, only my age who understood me better and spoiled me but also protected me.

And now we were parting our ways. I didn't know how I would survive without her.

Our separation was doomed when she told me she was shifting two months ago. But before leaving me, she gave me a gift that would help me escaping from my misery.

She gave me a new start. I couldn't thank her enough.

"I'm gonna miss you." Her voice came out shaky as she tried to get control over her emotions.

I could feel tears forming behind my eyes as well.

"I'll miss you too. I wish I could talk to you every day." But sadly that wasn't going to happen.

BMHS had strict rules and did not allow any use of technological gadgets or use of social media.

Only contact that was allowed to make to the outside was to parents and that too on ever alternate Saturday.

The calls were also under surveillance. I wondered why so much discretion but I figured I would only get to know once I reach there.

For now I repressed my excitement and focused on my farewell.

"I love you Mia." I gave a loud peck on her cheek. She sniffed a sob and giggled shakily.

"I love you too Anastasia. Be safe, be happy. And for Christ's sake find a hot-shot boyfriend."

Her last comment made me laugh. "That's going be hard. I can't get over you that easily m'love."

"I'll kill you if you ever try getting over me." She teased me back, playing along.

Then she became serious. "Have a good life _Mia._ It was nice knowing you."

"Please," I faked formality as I offered my hand to her. "Call me Mia."

She snorted. "Nice meeting you _Mia_ "

We walked over to the cab with the driver helping me with my luggage. There wasn't anyone else for my farewell except Mia and Maggie.

I gave a quick hug to both of them, not wanting any emotional goodbyes. I didn't cry because I wasn't sad going away, I was happy and excited.

The only thing sad was leaving behind my hometown which didn't matter anymore since my parents existed no longer to hold any significance to this place.

The other sad thing was separation from Mia. But I knew I had to be rational. We would have parted anyway so why not now?

They both wished me luck and then I hopped into the cab.

I didn't even look behind me while I was driven away towards my new life.

I should have.

I ARRIVED AT THE airport in the late evening.

Chilling wind breezed across my face, making me shiver.

I had come prepared for the extremely cold weather here. Still it would take me time to adapt to the cold.

My breath fogged up before my eyes into the air. I was wearing at least three layers of clothing due to which moving around with two luggage bags was pretty difficult.

People around me were busy meeting their own families or chauffeurs.

I noticed with a vague interest that the airport was unusually deserted.

Rolling my luggage trolley forward, I stepped outside. Shivers ran down my spine causing my teeth to chatter.

I looked around searching for whoever from BMHS was supposed to pick me up.

Mia and I had exchanged our phones so that I could contact the faculty of BMHS without raising any suspicions.

I took out her phone - _my_ phone- to check the time. The flight was only half an hour late so someone should be here looking for me.

I strolled a few more steps ahead before coming to an abrupt stop when I saw a man holding a Brooke Mountain High School board with Mia's name - no, _my_ name- written on it.

I took a deep breath and huffed it out in an attempt to calm myself and appear confident.

 _I can't screw this up._

From this point onwards I was no longer Anastasia Steele. I was Mia Fields and this was my new life.

Putting on a bright smile, letting the excitement show on my face, I moved towards the man.

As I walked in his direction, I took in his appearance. From head to toe he was dressed in black.

Despite the freezing weather, all he wore was a thin a black shirt along with black pants and black shoes. One could tell from his physique that he worked out a lot than an average person.

Still, somehow his face looked... ancient? There were no wrinkles and aging signs indicating his old age. But one could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn't young. They lacked liveliness.

I couldn't ignore the strange vibes I was getting from this man.

The closer I got, the stronger that nagging feeling got.

 _Stop it! You're just scared you'll get caught. Don't over think this Anastasia, uh Mia._

The man finally caught up my eye the moment I came into his vision. The smile he gave me made me freeze for a moment.

Maybe I was crazy, maybe the cold was affecting me or maybe it was my lack of sleep due to all preparations.

But suddenly his smile changed his whole demeanor completely. He looked almost _inhumane._

"Ms. Fields?" He asked.

Ignoring my crazy presumptions, I smiled at him.

"Yep, that's me."

"Welcome to Alaska. I hope you didn't face any problems during your journey?"

"Oh no, it was very comfortable. Thanks for asking though."

"That's great. We should get going now if you want to reach before the night. It's a two hour drive from Fairbanks to The Brooke."

"Yeah, sure." I said picking up my bags.

"Oh please, allow me." He said, strolling towards my trolley.

Before I could protest he picked up both my bags and stuff it in the back of the car.

I got into the back of the black sleek car. The inside was fortunately cozy. I could feel the entire day's fatigue catching up with me but I wanted to explore as much of Alaska as I could on the drive.

I have never left the state of Iowa and now I was out of mainland U.S.

He started the car. I realized I still did not know who he was or what his name was.

"Uhm who are you?"

He smiled that creepy smile at me through the review mirror then he answered.

"My name is Marks. I am work as the chauffeur for BMHS. I mostly pick up students but sometimes faculty members too."

I thought to use the opportunity to know more about the place where I'll be staying for the next two years.

"What is The Brooke like? I don't think anyone is state's has ever heard of it. Neither did it appear when I tried to search it on Google Earth."

He snorted. "The Brooke is a very new town. It established just a few years back. Also it is very thinly populated that's why no one has updated it on internet."

"But someone living in that area must have put some type of information about it?"

"The Brooke is more like a rural area. Not many facilities are available there."

I was confused. "Then why build a school in such an area?"

He looked at me with amusement.

"What could be more disciplined for students? It's not like you're going to live in rural conditions. Don't worry Mia, you're going to have every facility you require."

"Please call me Mia"

I tried to stifle a giggle erupting in the back of my throat.

Not noticing my inner humor Marks simply nodded at me.

"Mia. You don't need to fret over anything. This experience would prove to be the most memorable for you." That creepy smile was back.

It was starting to effect my gut feeling now. I wondered if he was who he was claiming to be or had I jumped into a car with a kidnapper?

Maybe I was being paranoid but I wasn't a naive girl. I was aware of the bad deeds in our society and I preferred to better be safe than sorry.

I decided to quiz him about the school more. That way I would be able to learn more if he was innocent.

And if he was not a safe person then I would grab the pepper spray in the back of my pocket and use it without hesitation.

"So why is BMHS so secretive?"

"Only extraordinary minds get the opportunity to study at BMHS. The curriculum we have is a very unique one. Also we offer education on full scholarships to students for free.

If our campus was made public, I'm afraid that there would be too many students trying to get into it. Since we have a very members in the staff, the process would be very messy."

"So how do you select the students across the country?"

"It's like this, every school recognized by the state gives us five deserving candidates that are all-rounder. We select the one in whom we see the potential the most."

"And then you secretly contact them." I stated.

"Yes exactly"

"So it's like Hogwarts in a way?"

He looked up into the review mirror to see me with amusement again.

"You can say so. But I assure you it's nothing like Hogwarts though." I decided to let it be at that.

The answers I just got were enough to satisfy my curiosity for now.

Also if he knew so much about the school system then surely he wasn't the bad guy abducting me here.

So I sat back and slumped into my seat, enjoying the view outside.

"Oh Mia, I almost forgot." Marks spoke after a while.

"I have a complimentary drink for you from BMHS. To help you relax from your exhausting travelling. Here."

He held out his hand backwards in my way. I saw a small cup, the size of a syrup cup, filled with red liquid.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's cranberry juice mixed with Indian sherbet and some pomegranates. It's a really delicious and soothing fruit cocktail."

I took the cup from his hands and looked at it questionably.

"Come on, drink up. I can guarantee you that you would feel relaxed instantly."

Seeing the hesitation on my face he added, "Please. I insist"

I didn't really want to drink anything but my manners got better of me. So just to be polite I drank up the whole thing at once.

It wasn't much, just a shot only. But I didn't swallow it. I don't know why but I just didn't want to.

I smiled at him and handed him the cup back. Seeing the cup empty he returned my smile.

I was begging to think that maybe his creepy smile was just his natural smile.

As soon as his attention was back on the road, I took out a handkerchief and spit the liquid into it.

No doubt the taste was mighty fine but my stomach was ties into knots, refusing to allow anything in it.

Maybe excitement was affecting my nerves.

Throwing my head back I sank into the leather seat. My thoughts wandering away while my gaze remained outside.

I was starting to feel a little dizzy, my lids grew heavy but the adrenaline still kept my sleep at the bay.

Marks must've thought I was asleep because he didn't try to make any conversation with me for the rest of the drive.

I thought about mom and dad. How would they have felt me going away like this. Quite a bit illegally.

I don't think they would've let me go away. I would've enjoyed their reluctance though.

It's nice to know when someone cares enough about you to keep you at their side.

Unlike my aunt.

I shouldn't really blame Aunt Maggie. Nor did I actually did.

But I have to admit it hurt me a bit when she was ready to send me away so eagerly.

Surely we were both at gain from this, but still I wish she would have wanted me to stay.

I wondered if she cared enough about me to at least check on me whether I settled comfortably or not.

Suddenly the outside view caught my eye.

I froze in shock, rubbing my eyes to see better. I couldn't decide if I was hallucinating or not.

We were suddenly surrounded by a town when I could swore that a moment ago there was not nothing but the woods we were driving in.

It was like I just blinked and a town appeared. But the point was that I hadn't even blinked.

One second there were just woods, the next there was a whole freaking town.

I sat up abruptly and turned my head back. The town stretched to as far as I could see.

 _That's just not possible!_

Seeing my frantic movements Marks caught my eyes in the mirror.

"Oh you woke up"

He was smiling but I could see a deep frown forming on his forehead.

"What just happened?" I asked in astonishment.

"What do you mean?"

"The town just appeared out of thin air. We were driving into the woods. It wasn't there and now it's here like _boom!_ No, not even boom. It just appeared!"

Realizing how stupid I must be looking, I shut my mouth and looked at him wide-eyed. Like he could provide answers to my delusions.

Instead his frown deepened "You weren't sleeping?"

His question caught me off guard.

I was expecting him to laugh at me or state like I've just lost my mind.

Maybe provide some reasonable excuses but instead he asked me I wasn't sleeping?

"No I wasn't."

"You were supposed to be."

He spoke in a gruff tone. It worried me a bit. This wasn't what I was expecting at all.

"What do you mean I was supposed to?"

I think he saw he was scaring me, so he regained his composure. And smiled at me.

"Sorry, I just thought you must be tired after the long flight."

"No I'm fine."

"I don't think you're fine if your mind is playing tricks at you." He pointed out.

"Doesn't matter though, because we're here." He parked the car and I bent down to see the building.

Correction , it wasn't a building, it was a freaking palace.

The whole place was so brightly illuminated it hurt my eyes to lock at it directly.

From nowhere did it appear anything like a school should be.

Nor have I ever seen such a huge area reserved for schools. Not even in science fiction movies or historic pictures.

It looked like an estate in itself. Only on the center-most part of the gate was a board hanging.

BROOKE MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL.

I saw there were no other doors.

"Is there only one entrance?" I inquired my doubt.

"Yes, indeed." Marks replied. "We have strict policy of not leaving the school premises. It's easier to guard when there's only one way out?"

 _So we're trapped like prisoners here? What are we? Criminals?_

The words were on my tongue and I had to bite it down to prevent from speaking them out loud.

Surely it couldn't be that bad. Right?

"Welcome to Brooke Mountain High, Mia Fields." Marks said.

"We hope this experience leaves a mark on your soul and that your mind proves to be useful for us."

Not what a formal greeting should be. Somehow his little welcome speech managed to send shivers down my spine.

I looked at the school again. This school that was going to be my home for next two years.

Suddenly, I wasn't feeling as excited as I was few hours ago.

 _Something's wrong here._

My instincts screamed at me.

 _Something's very, very wrong._

 **Please don't forget to review,**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs~ xoxo**


	8. Anastasia 8

**Urgently needed a Beta Reader for this story, the last one got busy for her finals. Only demands - the reader should have lots of experience of reading, good at pointing out grammatical errors and most importantly be punctual. If anyone of you is interested in being my proof-reader, please PM me.**

 **Thank you so much for liking and reading my story, the response I've been getting is huge. Please keep reviewing my chapters so that I can know what you think of my story. Also, sad to say, but finals are nearby so I won't be very regular in updating new chapters till March.**

 **Enjoy reading! xoxo**

* * *

 **WARNING : THIS STORY IS A DARK ROMANCE SO YOU MAY FIND DISTURBING, VIOLENT AND GRAPHIC SITUATIONS AT TIMES. CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR IMMATURE READERS OR SENSITIVE HEARTS. THIS CHAPTER IN PARTICULAR CONTAINS NON-CONSENSUAL STUFF. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. 'THE BROOKE' IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER STORY. READERS MIGHT FIND SOME PARTS VERY DISTURBING AND DEPRESSING.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **Destroyed**

IT HAD BEEN EXACTLY a week since I came here at BMHS.

And it has been nothing like I expected.

From very first day I could sense things weren't what they seemed to be here.

I have tried to interact with a few teachers but they were ruthlessly cruel and snappy.

One of them even went far enough to tell me that teachers do not encourage any type of conversations beyond the subject and the classroom.

"We have a very strict policy here Ms Fields." She had said. "We keep our student-teacher relations very professional."

The students were even worse.

No one made any conversations before or after the classes.

Partly because no one seemed to enter few minutes early or late in the class and neither anyone lingered afterwards.

Everyone was so punctual it was almost scary. This school was extremely disciplined I suppose.

I would have seen this aspect on the positive side had this not seemed a zombie-like situation to me.

It wasn't just impeccable punctuality that worried me. It was the looks on each of the student.

Their faces were always blank, holding no expressions whatsoever.

The halls were always deadly silent except the clanging of locker doors.

Everything here seemed so... lifeless.

I would have almost lost my shit if it wasn't for other new students.

The whole freshman batch and the handful of junior students - including myself - were confused at the unusual behavior of the school.

No newbies as sophomores or seniors, I had noticed.

I could tell all the newbies in my batch were as lost as me.

We wanted to talk about it but we didn't want to go against any rules and get into trouble.

Also there was no doubt we all thought we were being paranoid.

The freshman, I was sure, weren't so unlucky. They could discuss about it in their rooms at night and form an alliance unlike us.

Three-fourth of our batch acted like the perfect obedient walking dead.

I was going out of my mind.

There were no assemblies or class discussions held. The teachers came, gave lectures and left.

No homework or project was given as a distraction from boredom.

Another horrible demerit of living here was missing the outdoors.

The school was even more amazing than it looked from outside. It was like a seven star hotel.

Every room was provided with two single beds, personal air conditioner and a bathroom that one could only dream from the science fiction movies.

But no matter how fascinating it was in here, we all were trapped in a golden cage.

We weren't allowed to go out of the property at all costs. The pools and running tracks were also made indoors. So were the other sports.

I was going desperate to feel the sunlight on my skin.

We could only see the sun from our closed windows but we couldn't feel it.

The fact that we only had four or five classes didn't help.

Apparently, English and Psychology were the necessary subjects here.

Third was any foreign language we chose and the remaining one or two classes would be the activities on which we got selected to come here at first place.

Luckily, Mia and I were both in athletics. So I was able to easily pretend as her being an athlete.

Apart from that I was also able to show my talent in Chess.

That was all me, no Mia. In a few days since I'd come here, I was already having a reputation for my skills.

The lessons were, without a doubt, perfect.

The teachers were the best one could ever get despite their snarky attitude towards students.

Apart from our four or five hours of classes and one hour recess in between, the whole day was miserably boring.

We weren't allowed to use any sort of electronic gadgets or read any books apart from the ones assigned in the syllabus.

Teachers stated it would "corrupt our minds"

One of the newbie was caught on the second day trying to hide a fantasy book in her room. Her roommate had reported on her.

That was another strange thing. No new student was partnered with another one.

Old students kept them in line and reported to the headmaster if they caught something suspicious or against the school rules.

I was truly beginning to regret coming here. I missed Iowa, my old school, Mia and even Maggie.

I didn't get to talk to my aunt because there was some problem with phone lines.

They said it was under repair but they'd already informed my aunt of my safe arrival.

Life was as good as dead for one week.

After that everything changed.

On the second Monday since my arrival in BMHS, my first interaction ever was made with a student.

While walking to my English class, a lanky boy with round glasses approached me.

"Mia?"

I was thrilled that someone was finally talking to me. My lips curled into the biggest grin possible.

"Yep that's me. Mia is fine though."

He nodded. "Well I need you to come with me in the conference room."

"Uh.. why?"

"I thought you'd be interested in debate club"

I immediately brightened at the thought. "I love debating. I would love to join it."

"Let's go then."

I hesitated. "I have a class right now"

"Headmaster has given us the permission." He said.

"Oh okay then." Anyway we were reading some barbaric ancient story that I couldn't bear.

In almost every subject the course consisted of such gruesome events that mentally left a scar on my mind.

Okay, maybe I was exaggerating it a bit but seriously, the syllabus was disgusting.

"Follow me."

I did.

Maybe because I was so excited that someone spoke to me or maybe it was just my enthusiasm for debate club.

Whatever the reason was, I ignored his blank face, his emotionless voice or the fact that his conversation was almost practiced.

Like he had said the same thing innumerable of times.

I happily followed his lead to my disastrous fate, ignoring my instincts.

Only when I reached the end of the hall and opened the door of Conference Room, did I realize how wrong my decision was to come here.

The room was pitch black with no windows or any chairs and table.

I was confused for a moment till I took in the faces of the monsters looking at me.

They were students just like me. A yellow colored band on their hands told me they were all seniors.

Every student was given a band that must be worn all the times.

It helped in distinguishing their grades. Red for Freshmen, Green for Sophomores, Blue for Juniors and Yellow for Seniors.

But that wasn't what made me realize how gravely in danger I was.

It was the look in their eyes.

The stillness of their body like they were barely breathing. Their blank gaze went right through me.

Five of them. I counted.

The sixth one, who had summoned me here, was standing behind me.

With a shudder I realized he was trying to block my exit.

All their eyes were empty, the light in them diminished to end. One can see right through them and see how ugly and... _broken_ their souls were.

The moment I looked into those souls, that was it!

I jumped towards the door only to be drawn back with strong pairs of hands.

I panicked and screamed. "Let me go!"

No one paid any attention to me while I fought and yelled as four people dragged me to end of the room.

I knew the rooms here were soundproof. Nobody from the outside could hear me. But that didn't stop me from screaming.

The fifth boy came forward and back-handed me across the jaw.

Pain screeched into my face, blurring my vision.

The four boys now held each of my limb in a death grip. Like it won't matter to them if I fought hard and lost one of my limb.

The boy who had approached me before remained silently stood at door, guarding it.

It occurred to me how stupid and desperate I was to make some social contact. I didn't even ask his name before idiotically following him.

Suddenly, I felt my skirt being lifted upwards.

I shook violently against their hold to yank myself free.

It hurt, but I was keen on giving them a hard time. I won't go down without a fight.

The fifth boy, the one who hit me, strode forward and slipped his hands down my panties.

There was no hesitation or clumsiness in his moves. No foreplay which I thought sick men like him would like.

Just one clear intention.

To rape me.

What was worse was there was no lust or devilish glint on his face as he continued to harass me.

His robot like movements made it scarier. All their faces were the same, void of any emotion.

They weren't even enjoying doing it.

 _Like them enjoying would make you feel better?_

They were doing it with loss of their conscience or any other emotion that existed.

The boy peeled my panties down to my knees and started to unbuckle his pants.

 _That's it! I have to do something right now!_

On impulse I brought my head up and aimed at the boy's nose holding my right hand.

 _Score!_

His hands went up to his nose instinctively as he grunted out in pain.

Using the opportunity of one of my limbs free, I quickly punched the boy to my left on his eye.

Once again my aim met its target. He lost his hold on me too.

As soon as he let go of me, my whole upper body went down towards the floor.

Gravity called to me. My head met straight to the hard ground.

For a few moments I was blinded with hot pain in my skull. I could literally see stars in my vision.

That gave my attackers the opportunity to restrain me again.  
They didn't seem angry or furious at all like I had expected them to be.

Hell they didn't even seem to be in pain, those who I had attacked.

The only change was that their movements were quicker, like they wanted to be done with this as soon as possible.

By now the boy had unbuckled his belt and stripped down his pants and boxers.

He wasn't even having a bloody erection.

Why would the fuck someone rape anyone who didn't arouse them?

He brought his hand up and down his shaft, probably in an attempt to get a hard-on.

All the rational thoughts disappeared from my mind as he came near me and knelt down right in front of my legs.

I attempted to scramble away uselessly.

He gripped my thigh and pushed them apart.

I couldn't think anymore. My fights were getting useless. My vocal cords automatically began to throw out bloody-murder screams from my mouth.

My voice sounded like that of a dying animal's.

A sharp pain alerted me of something big entering inside me.

The discomfort brought tears to my eyes. I realized it was his dick and began moving frantically to dislodge it from me.

It only caused more pain but I didn't care.

I was determined to keep my virginity and save it for a special moment. Something far from this horrifically gruesome one.

He gripped my thighs tighter to keep me still and in one sharp motion, he thrust forward, tearing through my hymen.

 _Pain!_

 _Agony!_

 _Torture!_

 _Anguish!_

An earth-shattering sound rang through my ears.

I was sure it would turn me deaf but that was nothing compared to what I was feeling right now.

I was being ripped into two parts.

Nausea eroded my mind.

My stomach heaving, tempted to flutter up all its load.

My brain felt like it was splintering into thousands of tiny pieces.

I instantly wished to die. My whole body was burning up like it was on acid.

Agony stole my eyesight, blinding me from the harsh reality.

And that horrible sound just wouldn't stop, still tormenting my ears.

My throat, I couldn't feel it. It was so sore from my continuous screaming.

 _Screaming!_

It registered to me that I was the one making those howling sounds. Those earth-shattering screams were mine.

Yet I couldn't recognize my own voice.

Just as the monster above me started to move inside me, the sound of the door opening distracted them.

I was still too weak from pain.

Thus, I did nothing but cry out for help.

Maybe God heard me a little too late. But he had heard me.

Because I felt the boy above me being shoved away.

In the next move, I was instantly dropped to the ground.

Every part of my body screaming in pain as I gasped for air.

I couldn't afford to care about what would happen next. .

All that mattered was how much agony I was in.

I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings as I tried to wound myself together in one piece.

Few bone cracking sounds alerted me to open my eyes.

I saw four bodies lying down around me. All knocked out.

A grunting sound made me turn to my side.

I saw two men fighting. Though fighting wouldn't exactly be the word to put it.

One boy was beating the shit out of other. That was more sensible to say.

The boy taking the hits was the one who I had punched earlier. The other boy was more built and towering over his rival.

He was wearing a black long-coat and a black pants. His face was hidden with a black scarf tied around and a black cap covering his hair.

He held out his fist high and punched him in the jaw, knocking the boy out.

Then he ran towards me.

I started screaming again.

My throat was throbbing with ache as I tried to crawl away from him. The pain between my legs making it impossible to do so.

He was in front of me in a flash. His hands clamping on my mouth to muffle my screams.

I swayed widely in hysteria.

 _"Shhh!"_ He hissed.

Then he did something totally unexpected.

He gently brought me into his arms and hugged me.

I was so shocked at such an affectionate gesture. I fell apart.

I pressed my face into the crook of the stranger's head sobbing silently.

Spasm of shock ran down my body as I wailed at the loss of my virginity in my half-raped state.

The stranger rocked me back and forth all the time, softly running his hands down my hair to my back. Comforting me.

Minutes, or maybe hours passed. Dizziness clouded me. I untangled myself from him to look into his eyes.

He had a unique color. Neither blue, nor grey. They were the most beautiful eyes I've seen.

"Who are you?" My voice sounded unfocused and unclear.

Like a mute person trying to speak for the very first time after the surgery.

Nonetheless, he understood me.

But instead of answering me, he shifted backwards, shrugging out of his coat.

Before I could ask what he was up to, he wrapped it around me.

I looked down at it in confusion and saw that my shirt was slightly torn from the belly, while my skirt was almost ripped into two halves.

Just like me.

I also noticed blood coming down my thighs. The sight of it made me nauseous again.

All I could do was struggle through an upcoming meltdown.

He noticed it too I think.

I felt so embarrassed of my state. I wanted to die.

I wanted to ask him to kill me so that I could die with the little dignity I was left with.

But he seemed to have other plans.

He pulled out a napkin from the back pocket of his jeans. Then brought his hand slowly towards me, as if to tell me he won't hurt me.

I didn't protest or say anything.

Maybe because I was still in shock or it was because he seemed harmless to me at the moment.

I let him clean the blood from my legs and thighs. His touch was tender and soft.

Also, he didn't drag his hand upward or anywhere near my inner thighs.

That action also calmed me down and made me trust him more.

I silently cried as this stranger wiped the evidence of my stolen innocence.

His movements were so gentle and caring that it overwhelmed me.

Tears leaked down my eyes again.

When he was satisfied with his cleaning, he leaned towards me and spoke to for the first time since rescuing me.

"Don't tell anyone. Pretend they were successful. Act broken" He whispered in my ear. His tone stern yet urgent.

My brows frowned in confusion. But I nodded.

If that was the price to pay for him helping me, I would gladly do that.

He stood up, helping me as well.

I struggled to gain balance on the legs. My insides were sore.

He raised his hands and softly caressed my cheek.

I wanted to lean into it. My body craving for more affection after that traumatic event.

"I'm sorry."

He gently ran his thumb across my cheekbone and then... he was gone.

He disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

I almost thought it was a nightmare I woke up from.

Sadly, the bodies lying around me and the aching of my own body was evident enough.

I didn't know if they were all knocked out or dead. I didn't want to be here in case they woke up.

Rushing towards the exit, I vaguely noticed the sixth boy - the one who was guarding - was also lying unconscious on the floor.

I wrapped the coat tightly around me as I ran back to my room.

Once I reached there, I went straight to the bathroom.

No matter how many times I scrubbed myself I couldn't stop feeling dirty.

I was made impure.

I broke, crying until my tears ran dry and hot water turned to cold.

Picking myself up after a few hours and changing into my pj's, I buried my face into my pillow as I once again cried.

This time giving myself into self pity.

"Welcome to the Brooke." A voice startled me awake.

I looked up to see my roommate, Beth standing at the edge of my bed.

It was the first time she looked directly at me yet alone talked to me.

Few hours ago I was thrilled at someone interacting with me and the outcome was horrendous. I won't make the same mistake twice.

"I have been practically living with you for a week and you noticed me just now?" I couldn't hide the bitterness in my voice.

"You weren't really here then. You were living in an illusion. What happened today with you was what actually BMHS is. So yeah, welcome to the deadly town."

My jaw dropped down. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on. Haven't you noticed? They are dead! All the students are dead. The seniors are ordered to break every one so we all would be just like them. It's a chain that goes on. Till no life is left here. When your mind is broken, you don't have any conscience left. You'll do whatever the teachers order here in order to survive."

"How do you know what happened with me today?"

She smiled at me bitterly but her eyes held sadness.

"It's part of the procedure. They start training after the first week. Picking students at random."

"Training for what?"

"Training for breaking your mind." She said deadpan.

I shivered. "But why would they do that?"

"Because they are not humans Mia!" Beth almost yelled at me. Agitation clear in her voice.

"You just have to look them in the eye and you'll see it yourself. They enjoy tormenting us."

"Who are they? And why hasn't anyone reported them?"

"The headmaster, the teachers and the chauffeur. As for your other question, can't you see we aren't in touch with the outside world? The phone lines are always dead here. We are trapped here."

The phone lines were always dead. They had lied to us about reparation.

Shit!

I was scared.

"What about the students who graduate every year?"

She snorted.

"You seriously think they let us go away? The seniors are the worst here. Most broken because they have been subjected to the torture the longest. None of us knows what happens to them but I know they aren't sent back home."

I was silent for a minute.  
My instincts were right all along.

From the time I sat in the car with Marks, I had known something was wrong here.

But this was way more dangerous than I had initially thought.

"Why didn't you tell this to me before?"

She rolled her eyes as if we were having a normal conversation

"You wouldn't have believed me. No one believes until it happens to them."

Something about her tone made it very obvious then.

"You were raped too." I stated. It wasn't a question I asked.

She shrugged like it was a no big deal.

"In my freshmen year. A junior tried to warn us but we blew it in his face thinking it was some stupid prank. But rape wasn't the only thing that happened to me. My journey was much more painful. I learned it the hard way to finally just submit. It's called self-preservation you know."

This wasn't self preservation at all. "So what now?"

"Here's some advice. Act broken. They won't target what's already destroyed. They only prey on the strong minds. Till the time those are left like us, then these monsters will probably eat us all alive."

 _Act broken._

That's what the stranger had said too.

I nodded in agreement and Beth went back to her bed.

I could pretend to be lifeless till the time I figured out something. It would be a smart move. But it was only temporary.

I wouldn't back down knowing our future was doomed.

Whatever happened today didn't break me, it only angered me. And I _will_ find a way out for not only me but all of us.

I won't bow to them and resign to my fate.

I will make one if I had to.

I just had to find a way to fight them back. There were a few of them and hundreds of us.

I needed a plan. Till that time I would fool them. I would let them think they had destroyed my by just one attack.

I will act broken but instead, _I_ will break _them_.

* * *

 **Please don't forget to review,**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	9. Anastasia 9

**BETA NEEDED! BEETA NEEDED! BEETA NEEDED! Looking for a suitable Beta Reader. Only demands - the reader should have lots of experience of reading, good at pointing out grammatical errors and most importantly be punctual. If anyone of you is interested in being my proof-reader, please PM me.**

 **Thank you for liking my previous chapter so much! Honestly wasn't expecting so many positive responses. Maybe I'm not the only sick person who likes twisted plot with lots of tortures ;)**

 **Please keep reviewing so that I get to have an idea of what you're thinking while reading my story. Also, if you have any friends you might think be interested in my story, please recommend them too.**

 **Enjoy reading! xoxo**

* * *

 **WARNING : THIS STORY IS A DARK ROMANCE. YOU MAY FIND DISTURBING, VIOLENT AND GRAPHIC SITUATIONS AT TIMES. CONTENT SUITABLE FOR MATURE READERS ONLY. IF YOU HAVE A SENSITIVE HEART, READ AT YOU OWN RISK. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS STORY IS TO PUSH YOU OUT OF YOU COMFORT ZONE. 'THE BROOKE' IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER STORY THUS, READERS MIGHT FIND SOME PARTS EXTREMELY DISTURBING AND DEPRESSING.**

 **!YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

 **CHAPTER 9**

 **The Gleaning**

I WAS WRONG.

I was so bloody wrong when I thought I could break them.

I was wrong to think I was strong.

I was wrong to think I could fight them.

One couldn't imagine in their worst nightmares what was being done here with us. With me.

I never knew what I was really up to. Who I was preparing to stand against.

Had I known a week ago when I was as good as raped, I would have never thought of fighting.

Instead, I would have thought of fleeing.

Escaping was always the coward's way out or so I had believed.

But what could be a greater bravery than running away from the hell?

If someone would have given me the option of choosing between coming here or burning alive, I would have chosen the latter.

And that's not something easy for me to say considering I suffer from arson-phobia.

The only advantage I seemed to be having here was my hidden true identity.

They believed I was not me but someone else and so the fears they seemed to be playing against me weren't really my demons.

They were Mia's.

 _Mia._

I wondered at times if she knew the reality of this place and sent me in her place willingly.

But seeing other new faces, that were almost as - if not more - destroyed as mine, I knew she was innocent.

She loved me so much. She wouldn't dare of doing something like this to me.

Now being here instead of her, I allowed this one happy secret to be my anchor.

I was glad she wasn't here. I was happily sacrificing my life, my freedom and my sanity for her.

That was what kept me from breaking down. My love for her.

Whenever I wasn't the victim of misery and pain, I would think of her. Of my home in Iowa. My old stupid high school. Even my aunt sometimes. And my parents.

What should have happened if they would have been still alive?

Would they've let me go like this?  
Would they've sensed my agony?

Would they've come to rescue me?

It was useless to think of all this.

But I couldn't stop.

I should be trying to plan my escape but instead I was busy drowning myself in self pity.

Never had I ever been so disappointed in myself.

They played with our fear. Taunting us, tormenting us in a way that even the devil himself would run away.

The stronger you were, the more anguish you would suffer through.

And the worst part of it was that they were never the direct participants.

Instead they used our own kind, we the helpless young students, against each other.

The senior batch was the worst. Most broken.

Years of living in this hell had made each poor teenager a perfect lifeless slave. Molded into whatever monsters _they_ wanted them to be.

I was scared every second of my sorry excuse for life that no sooner, I would be like them.

Just another puppet to inflict pain upon without any conscience.

Somehow I was bearing the traumas they put me through but if it came to torturing others, I would prefer to die in most painful way with some ounce of humanity left in me.

So the only option left was that I would wait.

I just had to wait for the right time, make a perfect plan and get out with as many students as possible.

I would come back for others too, fight with them for their freedom. But for that I would need help from the outside world.

We were all useless here fighting among ourselves.

Most of the students were too afraid to at least look at each other. Talking would be a victory in its own way.

Beth was back to ignoring me, pretending that I didn't exist. I think she only talked to me that day to warn me.

That told me something.

It told me that she wasn't as weak as she thought she was.

She took a risk and went out of her way to warn me. That had to mean something.

Though I wondered if she had gone through the same procedure of losing sanity as I was going through.

Was it a same course for everyone? Or maybe it ranged from student to student like a different scheduled handed to every normal student at a normal high school?

Although I had taken Beth's advice and act like a mechanical robot, there was no escaping from the daily dose of tortures.

After acting like the walking dead, being perfectly obedient and impeccably punctual, there was still no relief.

We all had to go to those demons. No amount of brokenness saved us from that.

It was a fixed timetable.

Mondays, Wednesday's and Fridays - Hour One was English, talking about most tragic plays and disturbing novels.

Our Two Psychology - showing us such gruesome mind diseases that I bet one could obtain them simply from listening of them.

I was sure they weren't real disorders. These sick people have made it all up but still it didn't stop from affecting our souls.

Hour three was the only relieving class. Where one could foolishly believe everything was perfectly normal.

It was my French class. Yet here also the signs of liveliness were missing.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays it was English, French and then Psychology.

The rest of the schedule from fourth hour to eighth was same for everyday.

Hour four was when the nightmare began. These were the classes that I wasn't aware of in my first week.

The very next day after my virginity was stolen from me, I was given an extended timetable.

Hour four simply stated yoga.

But it wasn't at all what one would suggest. In yoga class the true horror of BMHS began.

A class of twenty students in a room with bright blood red color walls. The wall color was enough to make one's heart throb frantically.

Here we had to sand on one leg for straight twenty minutes, stretching our body to its maximum capacity.

Those who were unable to do it had to take five lashes of leather belt on their naked back.

Of course most of us fell into that category.

Five student monitors would always be present with us.

The moment we lost or balance or fell down simply due to exhaustion, one of them would pull of our shirt and whip us.

No amount of screams could help us.

From twenty of us, only ten were able to do it perfectly.

From their dead eyes I was able to tell they weren't new to this. Must have taken them a long time to perfect their stance.

They wouldn't blink or breathe. Just stand like bloody statues until ordered by the teacher otherwise.

The teacher, Ms. Rivers, had only one task. To order. Order to go from one position into another and stand back at ease.

Sometimes she would simply point at the students who weren't able to do it and one of the monitor would immediately pounce on that poor soul.

Few of those who took the beating didn't even scream or flinch.

I figured they were the broken ones. I tried my best to be like them but it was hard when your back was on fire.

The next position was head stand for another ten minutes with same punishment if failed.

For the rest twenty minutes we would have to sit in the cobra pose which wasn't as difficult as the first two tasks, but that also for twenty minutes was almost agonizing.

Sometimes I would be able to excel in stretching. But never was I able to do the head stand. So my daily five or ten lashes were fixed.

Followed by the swollen feet that occurred in Hour Five due to running for one hour straight. You stop and you would be starved for the day.

To add salt to the wounds, there was no air-conditioner installed in the racing tracks hall. We had to run around five miles daily.

After almost fainting the first two days and being desperate for food, I was able to stand up to this one torment.

Next was thankfully the recess.

A little mercy provided to us.

None of the students chatted with another. No fights picked, no bullies harassing.

Everyone was either too dead or too lost in themselves. The lunch room was dead silent, letting the silence scream what words cannot.

Not even new students tried talking to one another now.

In first week at least their nervous bickering and confused chirpings kept the place alive. Now they were gone too.

We all knew what were we against and there was no hope.

The seventh hour was what the student chose their sport activity as.

Sadly on my first day I chose it as racing tracks so I had to run another three miles lest meet up with electric shocks on my wet body.

The thought of it alone was enough for me to keep running. Luckily I never once was subjected to this trauma either.

I don't know if choosing running was rather a safe option or not.

Sometimes I did wonder what others were made to do who took a different sport activity.

But seeing my fellow mates getting shocked was enough for my mind to go further.

I could not imagine anything beyond this. Neither did I want to.

Last hour was the Art Class.

Here we would be shown pictures of half eaten humans, dead and decayed animals, crucifixion and other unimaginable images that we were ordered to paint.

If it wasn't grotesque enough for the teacher's liking, we were to go to prefects' room after our class for detention.

Since I was horrible at art, this detention became my frequent routine too. This was the worst time of the day.

The prefects were already given orders to what would be in the bag for everyday.

At least I thought they were ordered, their dead brains couldn't come up with such creative ideas to torture us.

Some days I was stripped naked and made sit in a tub full of ice cubes.

Other days they would make my body as their canvas and knives and nail cutters as their drawing tools.

It also varied between whipping me to suspending me upside down from the roof.

Most of the times I had company or other defaulted with me, seldom I was alone.

A stupid part of me hoped for the blue-eyed stranger to come and save me again.

That was the only time I felt safe since I came here. _He_ made me feel safe.

I never saw him again. I never got to know who he was.

Was he one of the students? Was he in one of my classes?

Dare I think of him as a student. It gave me so much of unhealthy hope.

But what if he really was one of us? How did he go out of his way without anyone noticing?

How did he fight against it and why did he fight for me?

I am sure it was a great risk to endure especially in this place. Why would someone go to such lengths to help a stranger?

When my mind wasn't busy in absorbing all day long's pain or buried deep in misery, it would wander off to these questions.

I'd think of him.

Wondering where he was, what was he doing, who was he saving right now or did he need any saving.

I thought of what I would say to him and how would I thank him when I see him again.

 _If_ I would ever see him again.

He had saved me from the most traumatizing method of torture. One I couldn't have bear to live with.

I am sure I would have been broken, just like others, had he not come to my rescue.

Not only did he save me but he also gave me strength.

He gave me courage to be strong and not give up.

But then it all changed.

Just when I thought life couldn't get any more worse, I was proved wrong.

I thought I was beginning to understand the depths of the nightmare I was living in, but what I thought as the depths were just the shallow openings.

After about three months since living here, one morning something unusual happened.

A gathering was announced in the assembly hall of the grounds. Every batch was summoned there with the prefects and class co-coordinators.

I had no idea what it was but I wasn't stupid enough to hope for anything good. By now I had understood that nothing good could ever take place here.

As we walked towards the hall in a perfect straight line, I felt a churning in my gut.

My breaths came ragged and short. My feet felt too heavy to lift and move them forward.

Something bad was going to happen, I could feel it.

Something really really bad.

That was what my instincts were trying to tell me, why my body was refusing to move forward.

I knew without a doubt that whatever was going to take place in the gathering was going to be a start of something much bigger. Much more horrific.

Something that I won't be able to forget ever.

Something that would be scarring me for my life.

And I was confirmed right when I saw Beth joining me in the line coming out from her class on the way. Her stance rigid and aware.

She kept her head down in a defeated and compliant posture.

She was really good at acting like that, making herself as invisible as possible.

But today I could see the fine tremors that ran down her spine.  
I could see it in her eyes how scared she was of what was coming. How hard she was trying to blink her tears away.

That meant she knew, or at the very least had an idea, what we were in for.

I darted my eyes around to see if there was any teacher or prefect nearby. I spotted a student monitor about twenty steps ahead of us.

I decided to take the risk.

"Beth please tell me what's going on." I whispered to in a barely audible volume.

But I knew she heard me from the way her body jerked little. We haven't talked since that night.

Neither of us had initiated a conversation. We were both scared of the consequences.

But today somehow I needed to know what we were walking into.

She took a deep sigh and composed herself. Then ever so slightly she breathed out a reply.

Had I not had an extremely good hearing I would have missed what she said.

"It's the Gleaning."

"What's that?"

"You get chosen for the Pinnacle Race. And trust me you don't want to. So try and act lifeless. Like you're empty. They only choose the participants with live eyes. "

She disappeared, blending into the crowd effortlessly.

Like I said, she was good at this.

I, on the other hand, wasn't.

We reached the hall where everyone was already gathered.

Our batch was the last to come.

This was the first time I have seen the whole school in one room. The hall was divided into four corners for the four batches accordingly.

Too bad it would be my last time too.

As we passed the freshmen batch, I could see most of them quivering in fear, some crying too.

They didn't have much idea of what was going on.

I had Beth to explain me but they had no one.

Everyone of them was new and drenched in their own sorrows and fear. I felt pity for them.

From what I could estimate, there had to be more than a hundred of them.

The sophomores were also about the same number. Though hardly any of them were shaking like the freshmen.

They knew what BMHS was about. And they were trying their best to survive.

Our batch was probably the largest.

With students already existing from before and the new students like me added to the total, I estimated there would be around two hundred of us.

But that wasn't what surprised me.

It was when I looked at the senior batch.

It shockingly consisted of less than half of what the juniors were.

So where did the other students go? They had to be somewhere. What happened to them?

Suddenly there was a small glimmer of hope inside me.

That hope with the combination of curiosity for the Pinnacle Race and hatred for the total of the ten teachers surrounding us was what made me look up.

I mustered up all my strength, my courage and looked straight into the eyes of the Headmaster with the most defiant expression I could manage.

I refused to back down.

I refused to be afraid of them.

I refused to cower beneath them.

And I certainly refused to bow to them in fear.

I hoped that my courage and my bravery would be able to get me out of here.

For the first time I hoped that I could defeat them with my new found will power.

I hoped that everything will be alright someday soon.

And that hope was the end of me.  
That hope was what changed my life once again.

"Good Morning to all the lovely residence of Brooke Mountain High School."

The Headmaster spoke without any microphone or speakers. Everyone was dead silent.

His voice was carried far till the end of the halls where it echoed from the walls.

"Today we are going to glean students for this semester's Pinnacle Race. For those of you who are new, let me explain it to you. The Pinnacle Race were started nine years ago, that is the year after Brooke Mountain High School was established.

The race take place in every six months, one for each semester. Rules are pretty basic. You'll be taken to the range of Brooke Mountains for a few weeks where you'll be racing to find a Golden Lotus that would qualify you to each new level. At the end the person who finds the Golden Lotus Trophy would win and be rewarded. Simple as that. Any questions?"

The hall was still silent when the Headmaster finished his speech. He spoke with an evil glint in his eyes.

One of the corner of his mouth tugged sharply up in an amused smile when he noticed no one questioned him.

Beth was right. He was sick. Each one of them was sick.

They enjoyed seeing us destroyed. They got off by ruining us.

Maybe that's what made me lift my hand up high in the air. Or maybe it was my sheer stupidity.

Though the moment I did I regretted it. I was scared of what it could result in.

I was scared of the consequences. I was scared for what I getting into.

But I hid my fear behind my fury.

I won't give them the satisfaction that they scared me.

The Headmaster met my eyes. He saw the defiance, the rage, the fury in them and it amused him further. It entertained him.

"Yes Ms. Fields?" His eyes lit up when he spotted me.

Perhaps this was in a long time that someone raised their hand to ask about the race.

I was surprised that he knew my name but I didn't let it show on my face.

I kept my expressions stoic.

Many students shuffled, a few even gasped as their heads turned to me.

I didn't back down though. I fought hard not to feel self-conscious.

"What happens to those who do not get qualified for the next levels?"

He was standing on the small podium about twenty feet away from me. Still I didn't shout those words.

For one, I was certain he could hear me just fine in the silence of the hall.

For two, if I screamed my emotions would be all out and I had to be in control in order to appear strong.

"Good question Ms. Fields."

He said with a twisted sense of humor ringing in his voice which made shivers run down my spine.

It was then I knew that I wasn't going to like his next words.

But nothing could have prepared for what he said next.

"Perhaps you could fine out by participating in the race."

I stopped breathing.

 _Stupid Stupid Stupid Stupid Stupid!_

That was all I could think of.

That how damn stupid I was.

How I had dug my own grave. How I had cut off the nose to spite the face.

"To the honorable students, and my supportive staff of the Brooke Mountain High School. I announce you the first contestant of this year's Pinnacle Race - Ms. Mia Fields of the Junior batch."

He directly looked at me with a challenging gaze and a sick smirk.

"Please join us on stage Ms. Fields. So everyone could see you."

And that was how I, Anastasia Steele alias Mia Fields, became the part of the Pinnacle Race along with twenty four other unfortunate students.

I was in for the unknown fate waiting for me.

And it was due to my own stupid bravery.

.

.

* * *

 **So, what do you think? Dark enough or do I need to work more on that? ;)**

 **Next chapter Christopher along with other participants, will be introduced. Do you have any sick ideas for the games and its levels? Do let me know & PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs~ xoxo**


	10. Anastasia 10

**HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MY READERS! Hope you spend a good day with your loved ones. If it were upto me, I would have gifted you each a Christian Grey. But sadly, he's only one (that too fictional !)**

 **Anyway, I plan to gift my readers an extra long chapter, with a break. No horror-stricken things in this one, no tortures and no torments (except maybe a few ;-P )**

 **Also if I get more than 10 reviews in this chapter, I would publish a bonus chapter within forty eight hours that would consist the begining of the Pinnacle Games!**

 **So read with you whole heart AND do not forget to review this chapter. If you have any wicked thoughts for the Race ahead, do let me know in PM.**

 **Enjoy Reading XD**

 **CHAPTER 10**

 **Liberty**

I WAS SITTING IN our room when Beth finally came back.

"I had a feeling that you are stupid. Now I know for sure."

That was the first thing she said to me after staring at me straight for ten minutes. Like she was trying to figure out which planet I had come from.

I simply shrugged. "At least now I can figure out what really happens to those _contestants_."

"By being one of them!" She hissed at me "Have you lost your goddamn mind?"

I snorted bitterly. "If I didn't know any better, I would've have said you care for me."

I didn't know where it came from. It was a pretty mean thing to say. But I was currently drowned into my own messed up mind.

"Wow! I didn't know you could be such a bitch."

I shrugged again. "Well know you know."

We stayed silent for a few minutes.

She came to sit on the edge of my bed. This was the most close she'd come near me.

I think it was pity. I usually hate it and I wanted to tell her that I didn't need it but I wasn't feeling anything at that moment.

Like _anything_ at all!

Maybe I was still in shock, or just numb.

I couldn't divert my gaze from the imaginary spot on the bed sheet as I kept staring at it blankly. Maybe I had finally lost it.

"They never returned back." Beth finally spoke out after what seemed like decades.

"Who never returned?"

"The participants. We don't know who won the previous race or what happened to others who didn't win. Just that they never came back to BMHS. They just... disappeared."

I let her words sunk in deep. Then I finally sighed dejectedly. I was so tired of this.

"Well staying here is no better than hell. At least I'll have a change of place."

She looked at me for a few long minutes again. Her eyes staring deep into mine.

Her face showing number of emotions that seemed so unfamiliar on her.

Any emotion on her face seemed unfamiliar, period.

Surprise, wonder, amazement.

"You're still so optimistic. After everything they have done to you, you haven't broken a bit.  
Instead you had the courage to question the Headmaster in front of the whole school, even though it got you into trouble."

"Uhm.. thanks?"

"I wasn't complimenting you Mia. Not really. I just think if there were more people like you here. We could've stood against them."

"I think we still can. There are so many of us and just a handful of them."

She blanched.

"You really think others would even think of standing against them in their dreams? You have seen how other students are here, Mia!"

"Not everyone is in the worst condition." I tried to reason with her. The thought of revolting excited me.

"The staff is like what here? Ten? Fifteen? Even fifty of us would suffice. We could easily take on them."

"Not everyone is like you Mia!" She practically screamed at me.

"Others aren't as brave as you. Most of us are scared. It's already bad enough the way we're living here to risk it. I can't dare to think of how we'll be punished if we fail."

"All the more reasons to risk it. Do you want to live like this for another year or so and then just disappear?"

I screamed back at her. "You have it in you to bear it for next nineteen months or so?"

She flinched and immediately started trembling. Probably imaging her life here agony for next nineteen months.

I saw her fear and grabbed onto it like an opportunist.

"Beth.."

I crawled towards her and took her shaking frame in my arms as I continued speaking softly to her.

Hoping that she would see the season and have enough courage to lash onto it.

"I know you're scared. I get it. I'm stared too. But no one can save us from here. We have to be our own heroes. We have to be united and fight back. Please don't let your fear take over you."

She stopped trembling as her eyes went blank again. Her posture stiffened and she broke away from my comfort.

"It doesn't matter what we want Mia. Some of the students have forgone this trivial matter. They are too broken to be brought back to life. And it's those poor souls that will be used against us.  
One command and they'll attack us to protect those demons. You think you'll able to fight with those kids? Knowing they are as much victim in this as you?"

Before I could answer her, a knock on the door interrupted me.

Beth immediately leapt of my bed and went to we own where she sat completely immobile.

Her façade of lifelessness was back again.

I wondered who it was so late in the evening. A fear crept down my spine.

 _Did someone catch our conversation? Would we be in trouble? Oh God! What had I led Beth into?_

I debated over opening the door or not. Let them think we'd gone to sleep. But there was risk of being punished later if I didn't open the door right now.

And no matter how much masochistic I was, I couldn't endanger Beth just to defy them.

Without giving myself a chance to back out, I rushed to the door and opened it.

The person whose sight greeted me, made me want to shut the door immediately and hide into my blankets.

With black clothes and even blacker eyes, he looked like the devil himself.

It had been weeks since I saw him, yet the tremors moving down my shoulder did not ease one bit.

He gave me a smile that was colder than the glaciers. I resented him immediately.

He was the one to bring me in this hell. It was all his fault.

Marks.

"Yes?" I asked him, pouring as much venom in that single word as possible.

The bastard smirked.

"Good to meet you too again Ms. Fields. I am here to take you to the Glean Center."

 _The what?_

I didn't bother asking him. But somehow my face must have been shown on my confusion because he answered anyway.

"The Glean Center is where all the participants are taken before the race. To mingle with each other. And also Headmaster would be there to guide you through the Pinnacle Race."

 _Fuck you!_

"I am not going anywhere with you!"

He huffed out. "I am afraid you don't really have a choice Mia."

"It's Ms. Fields and I refuse to go anywhere with _you._ "

"And like I said you do not have any choice in it."

He said it with such seriousness. No hint of earlier smirk in his voice.

He dropped his voice as he whispered in a cold low tone.

"Pick you battles carefully Ms. Fields. This is not the one you want to fight on."

I contemplated his words for a few seconds.

I figured it was the best to follow him since I couldn't do much just standing here arguing. But I won't follow him blindly like last time.

I'd come to learn from my mistakes and not to repeat them.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"To the van firstly, along with other members and then to the center. It's situated in the center of the Brooke. Fifteen minutes drive."

"Do I need to take anything with me?" I asked.

"Nothing for now. Everything will be provided there."

I nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."

With that he led me towards the staircase and then straight to the exit.

I realized it was the first time I would be walking through the main door ever since I have arrived here.

A very tempting thought of running away came to my mind.

 _I could get away from them. Out of this town._

 _Find the first decent person and ask them to take me to cops._

 _I could describe them the situation here and maybe come back with them to save others too!_

But the words that slipped out of Marks as we neared the only gate to freedom, crushed my hope.

"In case you are thinking of escaping Ms. Fields, let me remind you that you'll be on foot and I have wheels. Also, just think of much trouble you'll be once we catch you!"

 _Fucking Asshole!_

Before I had time to process his threat we were already at the entrance.

All thoughts left my mind as soon as I stepped outside of my prisoner.

 _Outside!_

I gasped loud enough to be heard by the whole town.

The sky was starless and black and very much in contrast to my situation here.

Only light to be seen from upwards was of the crescent moon hiding behind the dark clouds.

I realized a little late that it was night time. My brain a bit stunned to be out of the BMHS property.

Tears stung my eyes as soon as my mind registered the fact that it was nighttime.

 _I want to see the Sun!_

A small part of me wanted to weep hysterically for what I longed.

I crushed that part and threw it into the deepest corners of my mind.

Mustering up my strength and keeping my tears at bay, I started towards the bus waiting for us.

For a first few minutes, as I sat in the bus observing its interior, I was scowling at how oddly it looked like any other normal school bus.

 _Maybe the race won't be that bad._

Right. Who the hell I was kidding?

It certainly won't help me if I tried to keep calm by lying to myself. I needed to be vigilant and take whatever was thrown at me.

I rounded my eyes and noticed other people sitting for the first time. Guess my mind really had some catching up to do.

Some of them were crying, some shaking in fear, a few having panic expressions on their faces.

But none of this was new.

What was new was that this was the most liveliness I had seen since coming to the Brooke.

No doubt the emotions were all negative but my hope still didn't die. Instead, it magnified.

Hopeful thoughts immediately found solace in my mind. And then practically flooded my head.

 _Maybe we all could form some sort of alliance and work against the evil?_

 _Surely it would be better to die trying then to live like that?_

 _Or maybe we could just try escaping now?_

 _How many of teachers would accompany us?_

 _What if we could tackle them to ground and demand our freedom?_

 _Or maybe the race won't be that bad?_

The last thought kept bugging my mind.

Surely I knew it different and yet a certain bloom of hope burst up chest every time I thought the Pinnacle Race.

That somehow I could use this opportunity in my favor.

I counted the rest of the students sitting in bus. Twenty-three of them. Twenty four including me.

A few faces were familiar. The freshmen faces I had seen in canteen.

Sophomores were completely strangers to me.

Two girls from junior batch who were in my English class.

One boy who I think was in both my yoga class as well as psychology. And another boy from my French class.

After I was announced as the first contestant, I was too much in shock to see who and how many were selected or on what basis they were selected.

Was there a process? Or people were picked randomly? Was there a specific number of students to be selected? Did Headmaster already have a list? If so, was I already a contestant?

 _Contestants_.

Headmaster termed us that. I bitterly chuckled at the word.

The term made it seem like we were willingly participating in some huge television show.

From what my mind passively perceived during the gleaning after I was called up on the stage as the first contestant, that from the junior batch ten of us were selected.

I was one of those unfortunate ten. Or maybe fortunate one. Only time would tell that.

The sound of footsteps echoing through the stairs of the bus diverted me from my inner thoughts.

Mark entered first. Behind was the another student wearing a yellow shirt. A senior student.

Was he the last contestant?

As soon as he came into view my body went rigid.

Fine tremors shook up from my shoulders so intensely.

It felt like I was experiencing my own personal earthquake. Where only I was suffering.

Thin sheets of precipitation started rolling down my face and neck.

My mouth went dry. My throat tightened into several coils due to fear. Tears took hold of my sight.

My body was on fire and I couldn't breathe.

I willed myself to open my mouth and take a deep breath. Instead I gasped like a fish dying for water.

 _Don't lose it now! Don't lose it Ana. You're fine. You're safe._

But I wasn't. I wasn't safe at all. Never had been since last five months.

Yet here at this particular moment I wanted to beg, to cry.

To leave all my bravery and myself dignity behind and bow in front of them to let me go.

This was the most I had been terrified since stepping my foot in BMHS. Except for the one time.

The reminders of the pain, the agony of my virtue being stripped away from me rang clear and fresh in my mind.

Because the boy who just entered the bus, the last contestant, was none other than one of my rapists.

I could still remember each of their faces till fault. Every night they haunted me in my dreams.

They were the demons I still couldn't find the courage to fight with.

He was the one who held my hands. The one who I had punched in the eye.

My assumptions were confirmed when I glanced at his bruised eye.

There were few other bruises on his face too. A bit deeper than the one I had given. I guessed they were from the boy who had saved me.

I haven't thought about him for last few days. My sky-eyed angel. My savior.

Where was he? What was he doing? Was he still saving other poor victims like me?

Had he been caught? Was he being punished? Was he even one of the students here?

The senior boy glanced vacantly at everyone, looking for an empty seat.

 _No! Not with me please. I don't want to have a panic attack right now. I don't want to spill my guts here._

When his eyes collided with mine, they held no recognition.

Like he didn't even remember doing anything like _that_ to me with his friends.

Marks took a glance in my direction and smiled devilishly.

It took me less than a second to realize what he was up to.

 _No, no, no, no! No! Please God just no!_

 _Did Marks know what he and his friends did to me?_

Then he spoke out in a deep commanding voice.

"Jose Rodriguez, I order you to sit with Mia Fields."

 _That's it! Just kill him Anastasia. Beat him senseless! Scratch out his balls. Kill him right NOW!_

All my murderous thoughts flew away when the boy named Jose, my rapist who now had a name, came and sat down next to me obediently.

My mind went blank with terror.

He barely acknowledged me with a glance or anything.

He simply sat down robotically, just like he seemed to do everything else. His gaze blank and straight ahead.

Meanwhile my head was swimming with unknown emotions.

My chest felt heavy. Pain overtaking all my emotions. My breaths came out in short hurried gasps.

My eyes blurry with tears. My body shaking at its worst.

I realized I was hyperventilating.

I should have been still as a statue, trying my best to avoid any sort of attention.

Wasn't that what Beth told me? Survival 101.

But my body wasn't in my control anymore.

A sob broke thought my chest loud enough for others to hear it.

I was aware that they were all able to see my weakness. Seeing that I was finally breaking down.

Mark made a short speech but I couldn't pay attention to a single word.

My ears were ringing with my heavy sobs and the whimpers that left my mouth.

 _Breathe Anastasia! Take deep breaths. Calm down. Just keep breathing._

I tried to listen to myself. The bus started moving forward.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. A lot of deep breaths to get a hold of myself.

The fact that he neither recognized me, nor looked at me helped me calm a bit.

His sat back, staring right ahead like he was sitting alone. No one crying like a wrecking ball beside him.

Soon my crying subsided.

Sad fact : Humans can not cry for more than six minutes continuously.

The tears will dry up in seventh minute and trembling would go down in eleven minutes.

Surely after a minute or two you'd be ready for another round of bawling.

But I wasn't. For now I was done crying.

I put my hands on the top of head and stared outside the window.

We had now left BMHS far behind. Yet I couldn't see a single soul in this town.

Everything was so dark, no street lights, no sign of living, no forests or plants, not even a fly.

What was this place? And who were these people?

I asked myself for the millionth time.

But now I expected to get those answers pretty soon.

The bus stopped followed by the dead silence of the town.

There was a sort of stillness in the place. Except maybe the cold mountains and snow paths, nothing else showed any movement in the nature. The wind was so still.

This was truly the most depressing and terrifying place on Earth.

The doors opened and Mark led us all down in a queue.

I noticed a strange sort of building structure ten to twelve steps ahead of us. We walked towards it silently, keeping our emotions to ourselves.

It was in a shape of a lotus, much like the Opera House of Sydney or the famous Lotus Temple in India. Only this structure was made of completely different material.

It wasn't marble or cement or tiles. I had no idea what it was, but it were the strangest stony rocks.

The exterior was sort of shaped in a black lotus with golden lights bathing it. The building wasn't as big as BMHS, but still it was huge.

We entered through it and found out it was a residence place.

The living room was in center through the entrance, several bedroom door opened to see through them.

Beyond the living room, the consisted enough furniture for all twenty-five us to sit, was some sort of a race room.

It consisted of few workout machines and a book shelf of quiz books and encyclopedias.

At the right corner of the race room was a coffee table with two chairs on the either side.

My attention was brought back to our situation when Mark jerked the door and locked it with several locks and keys.

There went another chance to escape.

Not that the thought was tempting anymore.

Even if any of us could make an escape through the door, where would we go? In the dark, dead wilderness with no way out?

A tall figure emerged down from the staircase whom I had failed to notice at the extreme left corner of living room.

We all turned to see it was the Headmaster.

 _How did he get here? Was he in the bus with us?_

"Good evening my lovely contestants. First of all, congratulations to all you for being chosen as the lucky contestants for the Pinnacle Race.  
It is really an honor for you to stand here with your unique capabilities. I hope you make the best use of it in the race as well. Each one of you is extremely talented. The fact that you were given a scholarship to Brooke Mountain High is a prove in itself."

I had this urge to snort at his speech and remark something snarky.

But I had to remind myself what happened what I took the decision last time in my own hands.

That kept my lips sealed.

"The race would take place three days from now. There is no set of complicated rules and no surveillance of any kind. Each level you'll have to race to find golden lotuses in the mountains. Those lotus are what will qualify you to next level so your goal is to reach them as soon as possible by whatever means."

"You can help each other or fight to beat each other. You are at your free will. There would be five levels in total. The number of lotuses will deplete by each level. The race is going to pretty simple with just a few hurdles. Most importantly, there can be more than one winner. All depends on you."

The way he made it sound looked pretty simple. Interesting too, I had to admit. But I also had my intuitions screaming at me that it won't be as good as he is making it. He continued speaking.

"Here at the Glean Center, you'll stay for two days. The purpose of that is so that you get to know your fellow contestants better.  
Befriend them, make alliances. Know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Have a little fun together before the competition begins. Things like that.

Clothes and food will be provided to you at your rooms. You can chose your bed individually or have a slumber party as well. Everything and anything you want. No rules and no restrictions. Enjoy your best for next two days."

Why did it feel like we were the lambs being fed just before the sacrifice?

Our free will was what we had longed for. And now we were given that on a platter for next two days.

Why it felt so suspicious?

 _Something is wrong. Something terrible is going to happen! Very very soon._

My instincts screamed at me and I knew better than to avoid them this time.

I decided to take full advantage of my provided freedom and enjoy my time while being vigilante at the same time. I vowed to never let my guard's down here.

"On the night of the second day, you all will be taken back to BMHS to spend your last night before the race. Again, with no rules and regulations. You all have gained that. Then you will all meet me up in the assemble hall next morning sharp at 6 am.

You can take whatever you want with you. Clothes, backpacks, food, necessities. The race will be a long one so make sure you have enough supply to keep you energized. That's all for now. Good luck. Meet you in three days."

With that he nodded at Mark who opened the door and they both moved out.

Leaving us alone with the most precious gift.

Our liberty.

AT FIRST NONE OF us dared to move.

We all stood still, staring at the now locked door.

Waiting for them to come back and confess of the sick joke they were making.

I took that time to count the contestants.

Twenty-five including me.

Almost the number of an average classroom.

When the door did not open for a long time, we finally began to disperse.

Some exploring the house, others taking refuge in the rooms.

I found out there were ten small bedrooms with two single bed in each room. Few of them had extra bunker beds and sleeping bags.

Five of us would have to sleep on the floor. I didn't mind being one of them.

The kitchen was a huge place with frozen dinners, lots of readymade food, junk food, a whole gallon milk and certain fruits and vegetables.

Each bedroom had a bathroom attached to it that held a separate showers and a bathing area.

Oh and also blow dryers with other basic stuffs.

One walk I'm closet that was probably the size of my aunt's entire apartment with simple tees and track pants varying from size to size.

Seven or eight drawers of various types of lingers and under garments for both men and women.

This was heaven compared to the hell of BMHS. I decided to freshen up first then eat something.

I took out a towel from the closet along with a loose shirt and track pants of my size. Then I gathered a sports bra and some fresh panties.

I found the farthest room where no one has still entered. Took a hot shower, blow dried my hair then went to kitchen. The others had started moving as well.

Again the liveliness threatened to overwhelm me. But I kept my emotions at bay.

I found the boy from my French class struggling with the chopping fruits. I went to him and made us both a fruit salad.

The kitchen was every chef's dream to work in. He thanked me while I handed him his plate and we ate silently.

By the night the atmosphere had depleted from its initial shock and tension.

Most seemed at ease to do things they wanted to.

The conversations were still a bit short and tensed. But with every minute passing by, the environment of the Glean Center was becoming friendlier.

A lot of us moved towards the gaming room. There was a table tennis and even X-box to play with.

I found my solace at the coffee table pro-mastering my skill in the game of Chess.

At first I played by myself but then soon others came and challenged me.

By the end of the first hour many spectators have gathered around to watch as I defeated one student after the other.

When I gave the check-mate to a sophomore boy in just four moves, the small crowd around me applauded lightly.

Soon everyone who knew chess started taking their own turns to defeat me. But of course none of them was successful.

Each time I took over another defeat, I couldn't help but say "Game over. You lose."

For once everything seemed to be alright.

Even Jose lost some of his emptiness. I still wouldn't be anywhere near him though. The horrors of that day still too fresh in my mind to be healed.

The boy from French class and I had also become a little friendlier.

We sat at the coffee table, drinking coffee while playing chess as we introduced ourselves.  
His name was Christopher Grey and he'd come here on football scholarship.

"You know, we're together in the French class."

He frowned. "I don't have French. I have Spanish."

"Oh. It must be someone else then. Never mind." But I was sure it was him. Why would he lie about it?

But then I haven't been exactly myself from past few weeks. It could be someone else I confused with him.

Whatever any of us talked, we all remained steer clear of the tortures of BMHS. None of wanting to disrupt this fragile happy harmony among us.

I also noticed Christopher was having a bit familiar structure. If he really wasn't in my French class then how could he seem so familiar?

I asked if I had known him from before and he refused. Though his blue seemed oddly familiar.

There was a big deep cut on his right hand's palm.

I asked him about him that and he rudely shut me down by saying "None of you business!"

A bit cruel.

But maybe I shouldn't have touched a sensitive topic.

Maybe it was due to some punishment in BMHS.

So I decided to keep my mouth shut and enjoy my next two days of joy.

And that's what we all did for the next forty-eight hours.

It was the best forty-eight hours of my life in last three months.

But little did I know that it was the calm before the storm.

And when the storm came, it wrecked me apart and scarred me for the rest of my existence.

.

.

* * *

 **So how was the chapter? A little bit of happiness in tragic times? A ray of light in the darkness?**

 ***Are you interested in knowing what lies ahead for Christopher and Anastasia?***

 **Please review and you can read the start of Pinnacle Race in less than forty-eight hours!**

 **Don;t forget to drop a comment.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Happy Valentine's Day,**

 **~Christina Springs~ xoxo**


	11. Anastasia 11

**Wow! So I received more than 10 reviews in past two days. You must be really excited to read ahead. I can't tell you how much that means to me.**

 **So as promised, here's a new chapter where the Pinnacle Race begin. I hope you like them.**

 **But at first, I would like to reply to some of the reviews I've been getting:-**

 **I agree this story sounds a lot like Hunger Games, but trust me when I say the Pinnacle Race are nothing like that. Yes, you will find a few similarities here and there, but that's all. The rules and the basics of the Games are quite different too. If you really want to compare, you can say they are more similar to Forbidden Game by L.J Smith rather than Hunger Games. But overall, the Pinnacle Race are unique in their own way.**

 **Some of you are also confused what exactly this Race is. Don't worry and be patient. You'll understand better with each chapter.**

 **Yes, this story is dark. But that's what the motive is.**

 **'The Brooke' contains all sorts of wicked and horrific imaginations with a bit of sexuality too. This story is meant to be dark enough to push the readers out of their comfort level and become addicted to the romantic thriller.**

 **I was asked how many chapters would this story have. Actually it's going to be a very long story. I had originally thought of writing it in a trilogy but now I think I might write it all in one go. Though that will mean an extra-extra long story. Let me know what you guys think. A TRILOGY OR AN EXTRA LOOOONG STORY?**

 **I hope I've answered you doubts. If not, then please feel free to review or PM me. Also, if you've some wicked ideas for the upcoming levels in the Race, please drop them in my inbox.**

 **Enjoy Reading XD**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11**

 **The Race**

I SPENT MY LAST night with Beth back in BMHS.

The surreal happiness that we had all lived in for two days was over.

Now it was time to face the unknown nightmare.

I had made friends with most of the contestants. We all were still a little scared, despite that we all enjoyed our stay at the Glean Center.

I'd also noticed that most of the contestants were unlike the typical BMHS students.

They weren't having vacant stares or broken spirits.

They were so much... like me. A fighter. A rebel. Someone who refused to back down.

Maybe that was the reason for us being chosen as contestants, if Beth's theories were true.

Beth had warned me during the gleaning that students with live eyes were the ones to get chosen.

But why us? Why not their perfect zombie students who would follow their every command like a well trained pet?

What if that was the purpose of the race? Since the regular tortuous methods couldn't break us, this might.

I shivered imagining what could be worse than our current bearings of punishments.

Every time some mentions the Pinnacle Race, I would get this chill in my chest and a weird feeling in gut screaming at me that I would regret being the part of the race.

Well, no shocker about that.

But I was a very rational person with the mind of a strategist.

Staying in the self-pity stage was never an option for me. And I'd wasted enough times doing that.

I had already moved on from regretting to thinking how would I survive there.

This was a chance given to me, I believed. I had to take advantage of it for my escapism.

Mark had come back to pick us up this evening.

He had told us to meet the Headmaster in the assembly hall at 6 am sharp in the morning.

From there we would be picked by few helicopters that would drop us into the Brooke Mountain Range.

Something I hadn't heard of ever either.

This whole Brooke thing seemed so unreal. The Brooke as a town, Brooke Mountain High School, now this 'the Brooke Range'.

I wondered briefly if those pilots picking us up would be of any help.

Then again, I don't think Headmaster would be so stupid. The pilots would probably be like him and the rest of the teaching faculty.

I was thinking of the Glean Center as I walked into my room after two days. It felt so odd to return.

Back in the Glean Center, I'd fit so effortlessly. Comforted in the atmosphere of life, surrounded in happiness and serenity.

Now coming back seemed like going back to the grave.

My mind shortly went to the other contestants.

Christopher had not talked much after that first day after shutting me down so rudely. I noticed he was being an ass to others too. Probably who he really was.

I had befriended two freshmen and a junior. A boy named Kyle and two girls named Lucy and Emily.

They all were immensely disturbed with what they had found coming at BHMS while leaving their family behind.

Only Lucy, the junior, had gotten the chance to talk to her family the first day she arrived. The other two freshmen weren't as lucky.

There was also this girl named Gracie from sophomore batch.

She looked a bit duller than the rest of us, but nonetheless still way too lively.

I had noticed how the freshmen looked most happy along with a few juniors who happened to come here this year only.

The rest of the students, who weren't a newbie, had a strange sadness in their eyes.

The shadows and tiredness in them silently screamed of how much pain they had endured living in the Brooke.

I opened the door to my room, not wanting to bother Beth if was already asleep.

The moment I crept inside and the knob clicked behind me, Beth came pounding onto me.

Before I knew it, I was in her arms. She jumped on me so rashly that I had to brace myself against the back of the door to keep both of us from falling.

Still I managed to lose my foot and took both of us down to the floor.

We gasped, followed by grunting in pain. Soon becoming a tangle of arms and legs, trying to free each other of ourselves.

As soon as we had our limbs back to us, I looked at her wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

She looked at me the same way. We kept staring each other like trying to convey the other one silently with our eyes that you're was the insane one.

All of sudden we both burst into fit of laughters.

I was surprised at first. This was the first time I'd heard her laughter.

It sounded amazing. I was too overwhelmed that without thinking I took her back in my arms and hugged her tightly.

My surprise further enlarged when she hugged me back with same desperation.

"Dammit Mia! I missed you like crazy here. I was so worried about you."

My heart melted at her confession.

I didn't even know I had mattered so much to her.

She had only spoken to me thrice in total of the three months we had stayed together.

And yet she cared about me.

Despite keeping up her broken act, her lifeless façade and being an ignorant bitch to me most of the times, she was actually worried about me. It felt like an achievement in its own way.

This showed that she wasn't as damaged as let on to herself and others.

She was in her survival mode, being defiant in her own way.

Maybe she wasn't broken at all. She had just been into that act from so long that it was hard for her to remove the mask when it was needed. Hard, but not impossible.

Times like these, when she spoke to me, made me believe that she was still the girl she used to me underneath all that damage.

And I was damn proud of that girl.

We chatted for a few minutes. None of bothered to get off from the floor.

I told her about the Glean Center. About the friends I had made there. About the wonderful facilities there, the food, the race room, the rooms.

I told her I had shared my room with Lucy and Gracie.

She listened to all of it, hanging on to each and every word of mine. She was really happy for what I got to experience.

She tried to mask it but I could see the longing in her eyes. She wanted to have what I got.

A serene, carefree and fearless life. Even if it was for two days.

"Maybe next time you could also raise your hand, ask something stupid and get to be a contestant. Then you could experience all this too." I told her.

She snickered. "Yeah, and disappear from the world afterwards? Thanks, but no thanks."

I knew she only meant it as a joke, but it still rubbed me off in the wrong place. It reminded me of the unknown I had yet to face.

The part where I had to survive and try not to disappear off this world.

The air grew tensed between if again. She took my hand, all traces of smile vanished from her face.

"You have to win this race, Mia." She spoke seriously now.

"There's no other choice. You have to find a way through these monsters, go back into the real world and get us help. I know you can do it. If there's any one who can, it's you."

I was at loss of words. Her newly found faith in me made it impossible for me to speak.

"Why me?" I asked when I had finally gotten through the knot formed in my throat.

"I have been here since past two years. Yet I have never seen anyone with as much will-power and determination as you. You're always so optimistic. You didn't break after everything you've endured in the past few months. In fact your will to defeat them only grew stronger.

Not to mention what you did in the hall at the gleaning. Did you know no one has ever done that here? I saw the faces of other teachers. They were staring at you with this big eyes and open mouths. In that moment I was proud of you Mia. Though that was a jerk move."

I was touched to the core that she had so much confidence in me.

Did I have confidence in myself?

Did I believe in myself as much as she believed in me?

I didn't know if I could win the race. Honestly, I haven't even thought of winning. My only focus was on survival and getting out.

Now Beth had faith in me that somehow I could outsmart whatever evil existed here, defeat them at their own game and find a way to save us all?

Could I do that? Did I have it in me?

I didn't know the answer. But I would certainly find that out.

Or die trying.

"I promise you Beth that I, Ros - uh - Mia Fields would not allow myself to be free of this nightmare till I bring those bastards down and free us all."

With tears welling up in her eyes she hugged me again and then kissed me on the cheek.

"I really hope you win. I would wait for you Mia. I would fight with you."

And that was when I saw the first light of hope as it began to shimmer.

Two mornings ago she had completely refused to fight back.

Now here she was, giving me courage, telling me that she would wait for me and fight with me.

If only I could turn others like I turned her.

But sadly I didn't have any more time left with me. I had to prepare for the upcoming battle now.

I had to prepare for the Pinnacle Race.

Beth helped me packing for the next morning.

I had a small picnic-bag that could barely carry two bottles of water. So Beth gave me hers.

It was a traveler's bag, usually taken for trekking or hiking. It was huge and light-weighed.

It was perfect.

I filled the first pocket with two pairs of sports bras and panties.

Since no one knew who long this race were supposed to go on, I wanted to pack everything vital I could think of. Just in case.

Next I put two tank tops and one pair of track pants.

I only chose light clothing so that my bag won't be stuffed with clothes. Also, I needed minimum weight with which I could run and race easily.

I also stuffed in a thin blankie.

Opening the next zip, I stuffed it with dry nuts, wafers, some biscuits and bags of chips that I punctured a whole I'm to take out its nitrogen. Again, it was to avoid the fullness in the bag.

All these food items I had gotten from BMHS kitchens, free at my disposal.

I tried to give some extra packets to Beth but she refused. She was scared of the consequences if she would get caught with them.

Since I had no place left for them, I opened the packets and shared with her as a late-night snack.

The smallest pocket at front was filled with a flashlight and batteries. A pocket knife and two matchboxes.

The two water canteens went into the net holes on the either side on the bag pack.

I was as ready as I could be.

That night Beth and I slept snuggled in my bed.

Next morning I woke up at 5:15. I quietly sneaked out of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping Beth.

I went in the bathroom and took what could be as my last hot shower in this world before disappearing.

I spent five minutes extra than my usually ten-minute shower, relishing the warmth of hot water against my skin.

The weather was extremely cold out these days. With me running into the mountains I was sure my skin would be in crack in no time.

Thinking that I quickly whisked one tiny tube of moisturizer in my clothing pocket.

Then I put on a sports bra with high-legged panties. Over that I put on a tank top with some leggings. Followed by a track suit that came with a hood and yoga pants.

I had already thought of wearing layers to protect myself from cold out there. But to also keep my clothing as something I could easily run in.

At last I covered myself with a thin leather jacket and a pair of thick socks.

I contemplated over wearing sneakers of hiking boots. I couldn't run in the boots well but the sneakers won't protect me from the cold.

After debating internally for a few minutes I chose over wearing boots. It wouldn't be of any use if my sneakers would get me stuck into the snow.

For my last touch up I combed my hair then tied them into a high ponytail. Tossing my comb along with a few rubber bands into the bag afterwards.

I picked up the bag and hung over my shoulders, testing its weight. It weighed fine. Nothing too heavy.

The time was already 5:50. I had to be at the hall in ten minutes.

Beth was still sleeping soundly. It was Sunday so students were allowed to sleep till eight.

She looked so innocent and fragile sleeping that way.

It was as if all her emotions that she tried to keep with the impassivity in her conscious hours, broke through her sleep.

No one with eyes could say that the girl sleeping on my bed was broken in anyway.

I grabbed a pen from the night stand with a tissue and wrote a goodbye note to her.

 _You're beautiful from inside and out. Never let anyone make you think otherwise. You're one the strongest person I've met here. Do not break under anyone. Keep waiting for me. I will come and get you._

 _\- Mia._

I carefully tucked it underneath her left hand that was lying on the bed. I kissed her forehead and walked towards the door.

I was never good at the goodbyes. I didn't do it well with my parents, Aunt Maggie or even Mia.

Farewells only made everything emotional and right now I had no place for emotions. I needed to be focused on the Race.

Thinking that I put on my game face, straightened my shoulders, held my face up high in the air.

And without a second glance backwards, I left my room to meet my fate.

THE ASSEMBLY HALL WAS almost filled with the participants by the time I reached there.

I looked at my wrist watch to see that I had just made it in time.

Three more contestants came after me and then Headmaster greeted us all a good morning, wished us all luck and ordered us to follow him.

There were five helicopters for all twenty five of us and the Headmaster along with Marks.

We all got into our seats quietly. Either scared or high on adrenaline. None of us complained or whined about it.

About ten minutes later, we descended into a valley covered with snow.

The chilly wind made me shivered as soon as I stepped out of the helicopter.

Pure white snow was stretched for miles beyond my eyes could see. Ever thing was white.

Not a single inch of land showed any brown earth or green grass.

My adrenaline was high, my instincts kicked into its full mode. I could feel each and everything around me.

Like how the chilled air was winding in east direction. Or how three of the five helicopter bladders were rotating in exact rhythm while other two had their own sort of low beating sounds.

How exciting Mark and this sick devil were. Their pupils were dilated with such a brightness, their breaths coming in rasped pantings.

And how scared other contestants were. A few girls whimpering and sobbing silently. One of the boys was hyperventilating.

From the way each of them drew in their breaths, I could tell the exact amount of their fear.

But one body was breathing in a complete different way. As if that person was sucking fire instead of icy wind. As if... as if that person was _angry._

I turned to see who this body belonged to.

And then I saw him.

He was standing right behind me. Fury clearly visible in his eyes. He held his head high up, his stance in complete defiance.

He was looking at those two demons that stood in front of us with murder on his face.

This new side of him completely shocked me. Not because of the bravery or anger that I saw in him.

But because I didn't think Christopher was capable of this hateful violence which was radiating off him like a skin to his aura.

My mind went back to the two days that we spent in Glean Center.

He was nothing like this back there.

I could still remember how he was avoiding any conversation with anyone about BMHS or the Race. How hard he was trying to make himself invisible.

But now, he stood there embracing his fate. Refusing to be frightened and ready to fight back.

Ready to survive. Ready to win the Race.

"Welcome my dearest contestants." The Headmaster spoke, diverting my attention back to where he and Marks stood.

"Welcome to the Brooke Mountain Range for The Pinnacle Race. The rules have been mentioned earlier. The game has been guided to you. Everything and anything is allowed here.

You are owner of your free will here with no one watching you. Do whatever you like. Cheat, kill, help. But try your best to survive. May the best one or the best _ones_ win the race."

He finished his speech with a little applaud by Mark and other Helicopter pilots.

I saw them now, realizing shock that they were all staff members of BMHS. Our teachers.

 _Great! So they can fly freaking choppers too!_

"Each level area will be guided to you by the sign boards on the way. The level will start as soon as all of you cross the checkpoint. A bell will ring notifying you that the level has begun. In every level you will have to race to find a golden lotus.

The first level's race will end with twenty of you having a golden lotus each. The rest five will be disqualified. With every level, the qualifying golden lotus will be depleted leaving only six in the last level.

Sometimes not all of the lotuses are found by the contestants. Some might fail due to the hurdles. Some might fail because others may prevent them to reach the destination. Whatever the reason, not all expected numbers always reach into the next level.

The moment you touch the final level's Golden Lotus Trophy. The race will end and you will win. So if, in case, you're planning to win in a group, make sure you all touch the final lotus at the same time. But I would advise you to not to wait. You see, each level has a time limit that starts with the ringing of bell. If you do not find your lotus within the time limit, you won't be qualified for next level."

He cleared his throat. "I guess that about sums it up. So all the best. Walk straight for the first level. Goodbye."

With that he, Marks and other teachers jumped back into their flying matching and ascended up into the sky. Leaving us in the cold mountain valley.

 _Just like that?_

Within seconds they disappeared from our sight.

We watched them leave in stunning silence at first.

Then we watched each other's face like nincompoops.

Did they seriously think we will harm each other in anyway yet alone _kill_? How desperate they thought we were to win this stupid race?

I don't know how long we kept looking at each other with every kind of questions filled in our eyes.

Finally I had had it enough. I couldn't stand there any longer.

Headmaster had said we have to go straight for Level One. Better get this shit over with.

"Let's go." I said moving forward, not bothering to look if anyone as following me. Better if they don't. I'll have a head start.

But the quiet footsteps sinking in the snow proved otherwise.

I turned to see most of them have woken up from their residual shock and were now following me.

Feeling a little smug, I led the way to the start of the Pinnacle Race.

How badly do I wish now to change it.

Knowing now what I was leading to them makes me wish I wouldn't have ever been born.

At least not to face this day.

Where I was responsible for destruction of twenty five teenagers.

Not aware of any of this, avoiding the warnings my gut was screaming at me, I led them to a nightmare worse than hell.

The Pinnacle Race.

* * *

 **So the Race have begun! First level in the upcoming chapter. Who's excited?**

 **Tell me what you are expecting will happen in Level 1. Drop your comment in review box.**

 **Well, I see this story has got 90+ reviews. Can we PLEASE make it up to 100? COME ON REVIEW!**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs~ xoxo**


	12. Anastasia 12

**SO THE PINNACLE RACE HAS STARTED! HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL? WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING TO HAPPEN IN LEVEL ONE?**

 **Oh and many of you are eager to know about Christian and Ana. Well, I'm a biiiig fan of Christi-Ana and no matter how twisted my stories get, it would always end with them together in HEA. So trust me on this and have some patience while you enjoy the story.**

 **And BELIEVE me when I say that Christian is VERY much connected to The Brooke & BMHS. Also he has an EXTREMELY BIG role in The Pinnacle Games. But that twist is for much later.**

 **Till that time... Enjoy Reading XD**

* * *

 **CAUTION : If you're eating while reading this chapter, then stop eating. You may find this chapter a bit difficult to stomach.**

* * *

 **WARNING : THIS STORY IS A DARK ROMANCE. YOU MAY FIND DISTURBING, VIOLENT AND GRAPHIC SITUATIONS AT TIMES. CONTENT SUITABLE FOR MATURE READERS ONLY. IF YOU HAVE A SENSITIVE HEART, READ AT YOU OWN RISK. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS STORY IS TO PUSH YOU OUT OF YOU COMFORT ZONE. 'THE BROOKE' IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER STORY THUS, READERS MIGHT FIND SOME PARTS EXTREMELY DISTURBING AND DEPRESSING.**

 **!YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 **Beginning**

WE ALL WALKED SILENTLY into the extremely cold weather of the Brooke.

No one dared to question anything.

Everyone carrying down their own burden of thoughts and emotions with them as they stepped forward.

Soon Lucy, Emily and Kyle joined me in the hiking.

We started with small conversations, depleting the tension and fear in the atmosphere.

One of Kyle's friends, Brandon, also joined out little group.

We made silly jokes and teased each other as we walked.

It seemed like we have been walking for hours. But I knew it was just over twenty minutes or something.

I glanced back at others. Some of them were also walking into little groups like ours.

The earlier silence was gone now, filled with tense and forced conversation. But nonetheless, a better and lighter atmosphere.

Few of the contestants were still too much lost into their dreaded misery to walk with others.

Jose and other seniors were walking totally alone. Some of them were scared while others, like Jose had a blank expression on their face.

 _I thought only those who weren't broken were chosen for the Race._

I guess I was wrong.

But looking at them, they still seemed more humane now than being the perfect robots and puppets back at school.

From all the other batches, I noticed, every contestant chosen was a lively participant.

Maybe these five were the most _unbroken_ students from the senior batch.

But looking at Jose, I refused to believe it. And I refused my mind to wander to where it always went when I saw Jose's face.

I couldn't afford to panic right now.

Christopher and Gracie were also walking alone. I waved at both of them and gestured to come ahead and join us.

Gracie came with a shy smile while Christopher waved back. I think he needed more time. Maybe he was really scared and wanted to be alone.

I encouraged Gracie to join us in our childish joke-marathon going on.

She was actually a good joke teller, only she forgot the punch line every now and then.

After what seemed like an hour of walking, we finally reached a sign board.

It was wooden, stuck in the snow like a traffic sign board found on the sidewalks.

Black paint spread over it that spelled out LEVEL 1 ahead, with an arrow indicating forward.

"I guess that means more walking." Lucy stated.

Many of us groaned in displeasure. My feet were also beginning to ache now.

The weather was getting unbearable by each minute. I could feel my fingers already starting to go numb.

 _I forgot to pack gloves!_

With no other option provided, we kept going forward.

I heard the others- scattered in group of two's and three's- just a few steps behind us, were also whining and groaning as they passed the sign board.

We all were tired. But strangely not thirsty.

I guess it was due to cold weather that none of us felt the need to drink water.

Maybe there was some advantage to the coldness. It meant our water and other stocks could last.

Christopher was still the farthest from others, the last contestant to be walking.

He seemed so different. His face was closed off. Like he was thinking hard.

But that wasn't what was different about him. It was something else, something I couldn't pin point right at the moment.

"You guys go ahead, I'm walking with Christopher." I told my other companions and turned to walk back.

Christopher stopped short seeing me approach him. His eyebrows turned into a frown, trying to figure out why I came to him.

Honestly I didn't know the answer myself.

It was just that he seemed very different today. Different and somehow strangely familiar.

I stopped short in front of him. None of us spoke for a moment. The awkward silence becoming more awkward by each second.

"Come on let's walk." I finally said when he still remained frozen at his spot.

His frown deepened further but he obeyed me.

He looked cute as he walked, still frowning. I realized I haven't paid much attention to his looks until then.

Now that I noticed, he looked sort of... _gorgeous_.

That was the first word that came into my mind.

Other words that followed were beautiful, handsome, manly, hot and even sexy.

 _Get your mind into the race Ana!_

 _Ummm I mean Mia- no Ana, ugghh what do I call myself ?!_

This name shit was getting on my nerves.

And this insanely attractive boy walking beside me, whose ravishing looks I hadn't noticed till just now, wasn't helping. At. All.

 _Focus Ana._

I didn't bother to make any conversation after that.

I was busy in making myself concentrate on the race for next ten minutes or so.

In fact I was so lost in my mind that I hardly noticed when I bumped into something - actually someone standing ahead me.

I stumbled forward, but Christopher caught my arm, steadying me.

I was about to turn and thank him when my eyes landed on the person who I had bumped into.

Everyone had stopped moving and was standing motionlessly right in front of me, facing something ahead.

Something that I couldn't see.

I turned my head to the sides in confusion and then saw another sign board.

Only it wasn't exactly a sign board. It was a checkpoint stating _Welcome to Level 1 of the Pinnacle Race_ in big bold letters.

Something about the way everyone was standing so stoically gazing far ahead, stirred fear deep in my gut.

Something's bad out there.

Listening to my instincts I moved others, clearing my path with my elbows and went forward.

As soon as I reached the end - or rather the start - of our crowd, I saw what was wrong.

My legs froze beneath me with their own accordance.

My eyes took in the sight before us, but my mind refused to recognize it.

It took a few moments for the vision to slowly enter my brain. Agonizingly slowly.

I usually felt proud of how quick I was than compared to others. On how high my IQ level was.

But these few moments where everything seemed to be in slow motion, made me feel ashamed of my so-called super fast reflexes.

Snow.

Snow was everywhere, lying in different styles and different ways.

In some places it was in a sort of balls, somewhere in thin sheets.

It looked like a land where uneven snowfall had taken place. Some places snow was more than the others. In different colors

But the most vibrant, major and visible color was Red.

Red liquid snow spread out almost everywhere.

At some places the snow was also in form of off-white/yellowish solid.

While at other places there was no snow at all but rather brown and orange muddy earth.

But red was the most vibrant color.

Like a coating done over the uneven weird snow land.

It was a very attractive shade of red.

Hot, rich, dark and dull yet very bright. I knew this shade. It was called blood-red.

 _That's because it was blood! Hot thick BLOOD!_

Oh no! I was going to be sick.

The weird uneven snow land now started to make sense. Because it wasn't snow at all. As much as I wanted to believe that, it wasn't.

 _Don't think about it! Don't think about it! Keep calm Ana. Keep calm._

But I couldn't.

Not after seeing the horrible sight that was in front of my eyes.

My mind and soul would be scarred with this vision for whatever life I have left to live.

The image would be forever burned into my mind.

What lay ahead of us was not at all a snow-land. There was not a single flake of snow visible in the area.

It was a slope, possibly reaching up to a low mountain peak, that was covered in... covered in...

It was covered in blood and guts.

Those splashes of thick red were intestines and torn limbs and god-knows what other body parts.

I have seen enough survival and forest shows to know this.

What I was thinking of brown and orange mud earlier were actually the bodies of dead animals.

I was able to recognize a few of them, foxes, wolves, jackals, mountain lions...

And the worst was the off-white and pale yellowish structures. I didn't need to see any animal channels to know what that was.

They were bones.

Skeletons of animals scattered along with their dead bodies, lying in the pool - no - river of blood and other gruesome body parts.

 _Oh God! I am going to be sick. I am going to be sick. Help me please._

It was then the screaming and shouting and crying and disgusting sounds registered in my ears.

Others were finally having a reaction to what there were seeing.

Few girls were screaming and crying. Boys were shouting and grunting in disgust.

The whole crowd was a chaos.

Everyone having their own reaction to the horrified vision in front of them, but none of them daring to move an inch.

We were all frozen to our spots. Going insane from within.

A sharp ear-piercing scream rang right in my ears.

It was so sharp and so loud that I thought I was going to faint just listening to it.

I could feel the tremors running down through me. My body began to shake.

I covered my ears with my hands to prevent the disturbing noise from entering in them. But it was of no use.

My eyes and mouth were wide open, refusing to shut down. I tried to suck in breathe but I couldn't.

I realized that the loud ear-piercing scream belonged to me. Yet I couldn't stop.

My eyes remaining fixated at the nightmare in front of me. Slowly swiping the horrendous images around.

 _Blood, blood, blloood! So much blood._

 _And guts. And bones. And skeletons. And- oh God is that a human skull?_

 _Oh God, oh God!_

 _This is a dream. This all is a very, very, very, VERY bad dream._

 _Wake up. Wake up, please, WAKE UP!_

Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind. Shaking me back and forth.

"Mia! Mia relax. Calm down. Take deep breaths. Relax!"

The voice was calm and composed.

So I tried to obey it.

Soon my voice box gave out and my mouth sucked in air, providing sweet relief to my lungs.

"Relax. Calm down. Just relax." The shooting was kept murmuring behind me.

Once again I was able to hear others' screaming and crying but I only concentrated on the rich comforting voice.

It felt familiar from some place in the past.

"Are you okay ?" The voice spoke again, but not as a murmur. I finally recognized it as Christopher's. But I couldn't answer it.

Because something else registered in my mind.

We all were standing past the check point now. Christopher and I were the last to pass the checkpoint. The last contestants.

How much time it has gone since we all saw this area and began to cry insanely? Probably a few seconds? Less than a minute?

It could start any time now. The bell could ring anytime. The race could begin anytime now.

And then I realized something else too.

We all were standing at the check point. In front us was... well what seemed like an after bomb-explosion affect in an over populated area.

Carefully, not allowing my eyes to wander, I skimmed my gaze straight towards the end of the stretched land.

As far as my vision would allow.

Through the foggy wind I could see a golden flag waving in the air, at the end of the slope - the peak.

The Pinnacle.

An estimated guess of three miles ahead of us.

There was also something wooden lying at the end of the flagpole.

Straight horizontal and wooden. Hmmm... a table? With golden lotuses?

That confirmed my doubts.

All this went through my mind in mere seconds till I finally had the answer in front of me.

We had to run over this blood, and dead, and skeletons to reach the golden flag and find golden lotus.

That was the first level. Which could begin any moment now.

I now understood the depth of the danger in this game.

This was just the first level. And if it was this gruesome and pathetic then how terrible would other levels be?

I didn't have time to react to my newly engaged thought.

Because the bell rang.

It was a shrilling loud noise that sent shivers down my spine. Loud and agonizing. The kind that stung into ears.

Without thinking, my body fell forward.

My legs running ahead, pushing the ground harder. I could feel the weight of my backpack bouncing against my shoulders.

My hands moving back and forth furiously. Moving my body forward, faster.

The cool wind passing through my ears gave me the illusion of being free, running freely.

The harder my legs pushed the ground, the more I fell into this falsity of joy.

Air filled in my lungs furiously, rapid breaths going in and out of my chest.

For a moment, I forgot why true aim for running. For a moment I ran just for pleasure rather than survival.

And then the ground beneath me started to change.

The hardness of valley and coldness of snow replaced with softness of fleas and warmness of blood.

 _Don't think about it. Keep running._

I couldn't _not_ think about it when it was right under my feet.

I refuted to look down, but my mind was still aware of what lay beneath me.

What I was running on was no longer ground and earth.

I was running over death. Of animals and possibly humans. I was running over their bodies and blood and bones.

I was disrespecting by laying my feet on them just for some stupid golden lotus with no significance.

The thought almost made me stop. I gradually slowed, yet continued to run.

My only focus was that I couldn't stop in between. Not in the middle of the bloodbath that surrounded me.

How sick could they be? How had they even managed to get all these corpses?

What if they were all alive when they came here? What if these sick monsters had killed them?

I sucked in a loud gasp thinking that.

Can they be so cruel? So barbaric? Why would anyone do that? Kill so ruthlessly just for a ridiculous game?

Even these demons won't be that much of evil. Right?

I had to think everything underneath me was already long dead, brought from streets and morgue rooms.

I couldn't stomach the thought of them being killed because of the game. Because of me.

Actually I couldn't stomach running over the dead, period.

My body was running out of its initial adrenaline. My mind catching up with the true horrors of what exactly what I was running on.

Nausea was catching up with me. Panic finding its way inside me.

 _I was freaking running over skeletons and dead bodies of animals!_

 _Why am I even doing it?_

 _Just stop! STOP!_

A small emotionally weak part in me wanted to my legs to halt, my shoulders to snag down and my body to crumble and burst into panicked sobs.

But the stronger part in me, the one that was more focused on keeping myself ahead of others so that this could end soon, willed me to keep moving, to keep running.

This small tug of war within me made me jog instead of run.

Neither of the two versions of me gave into the other one; causing me neither to stop, nor to run.

Thus for a few minutes I kept on jogging, moving forward at a slow pace.

I heard the others behind me, catching up to me. I still haven't looked down.

Fearful of what my reaction would be. Whether I would be able to cope up or now.

However, I did want to look behind me.

How many of them were running, who was catching up with me, who would prove to be a competition to me.

These questions made me look back.

The glimpses I caught were of horrified, panic stricken and tear - stained faces.

Now that my speed was slow, I could hear things other than wheezing sounds of the wind.

And what I heard was cries, blood-curling screams, insane shrieks.

It seemed like everyone was having a late reaction to the grotesque field they were running on.

 _Or possibly a normal reaction depending on how I am viewed._

It occurred to me I was the only one who had sprinted forward as soon as the bell rang.

It was me who ran high on adrenaline ignoring what I was running on.

Not for the first time in my life, I thought, could I be the one having a wrong reaction?

Because I had known from a long time my reflexes weren't exactly normal.

People in Iowa, even my own parents, have looked at me in wonder and sometimes funny when I would catch something quickly or react faster than others.

I'd always ignored analyzing my unusual skills, thinking it must happen to few exceptional people.

Like some people having exceptionally high IQ, who knows there must be a range of people being exceptionally quicker?

But now as I saw others, it seemed like whatever skill I had wasn't exactly normal.

 _Is_ _that a good thing or a bad one?_

I didn't get the time to think of the answer.

Because then I realized the shrieks, those panic faces were not only due to our scornful grotesque running field.

The others, they were not running to compete with me or to finish this god awful race.

They were running to save their lives!

Now apart from the guttural cries of other contestants, I was able to hear heavy growling noises.

I have never ever heard such noises yet they sounded vaguely familiar.

Like it wasn't something I have experienced in past but I should be aware of those voices.

Those voices that clearly indicated the raw hunger in them.

Bloodlust, thirst, impatience mixed with the weird soft sounds.

 _Crunching of ground._

I recognized those soft sounds but not those hard, scary sounds.

Those were the sounds of hungry beasts, I knew that without analyzing. But what kind of beasts?

I risked a glance backwards again . . . and halted in my steps.

Not thinking where or what, or rather _whom_ I was standing on, my gaze straight on what was running behind us.

Covered in snow white fur, eyes dark as coal, heavy paws landing on the ground; huge creatures chasing towards their food, their prays.

Polar bears!

I knew it now. They were polar bears. The knowledge was provided to me from those animal channels.

That's why their roars sounded vaguely familiar.

They were Polar Bears. They were running in our direction. Four, no, five of them.

They definitely sounded hungry.

And their food was us. _Me._

 _I_ was their prey. They were chasing me.

And I was dead in my tracks.

It registered to me in an oddly calm way that I have to run again.

 _You are being chased Ana. You have to run._

 _They'll catch you otherwise. They will crush you. They will eat you._

I

had

to

Run.

 _Now!_

I turned back into the original direction I was running into and flew. Literally flew.

I soared higher and higher, pushing the ground away from my legs, hitting with all my energy.

I stopped running in enjoyment, stopped paying attention to my surroundings.

I didn't care what or who I was running on. I didn't care where I was running.

I just have to get away from the hungry beasts following me. I have to outrun them in some way.

And so I ran.

I ran till my lungs burned and my boots stung into my feet and my legs ached.

Every part of me was screaming with fear.

 _Run! Run! Run!_

I ducked my head, pushing harder, forcing my body ahead.

Willing it to grab onto the non-existing energy and propel myself from danger to safety.

How long did I run? I didn't know. Neither did I care.

I just kept going. Kept running.

I didn't stop when the growling neared.

I didn't stop when a girl cried out for help followed by the sounds that I would never forget in my life.

I didn't want to think, didn't want to know what those sounds meant. But sadly my mind provided me the answers.

 _They caught her. They are eating her. She is being killed. She is_ _ **dying**_ _!_

NO! I couldn't think about it. I can't stop to help her. I'll die myself.

 _Just look straight. Block out the voices. Don't look down, down turn back. Just run straight!_

I decided to obey that calm voice in me. I continued to run.

Somehow I knew if I reach the peak, that table with golden flag, that I'll be safe. I have to be.

I thanked God for me with talent of running, and for the first time, I was thankful for those tortuous runs in BMHS.

Shadows chased my every step. Shadows of others, other contestants.

I didn't know who was ahead of me or who was behind me. Keeping my mind single-tracked. I concentrated on saving myself.

But then another cry halted me in my steps for the second time.

This sound was very familiar to me. This voice, that was crying in pain, belonged to the person who had tainted my soul.

This voice belonged to person who haunted my every night in my dreams, refusing to let me sleep in peace.

This voice belonged to the person who had tripped onto a skeleton and was now lying muddled in blood of the dead.

The person who was about to become food to the animals chasing us. He was about to die, about to become extinct.

Jose.

 _Walk away Ana, start running, or you'll meet the same fate too._

I wanted to.

God how much I wanted to run.

It would be so easy, just turn my back and sprint again. Keep myself alive.

But for some reason I couldn't. My legs just won't obey me now.

 _He raped you with his friends Anastasia. He deserves this._

Did he?

They were all blank faces, vacant gazes, empty thoughts and broken minds when they did so.

After Beth's explanation I understood that they were under orders, under force to do so.

Could they've stopped? Denied to do what they did to me? Or were they so broken? So empty that they lacked conscience now?

 _Doesn't matter Ana! You're wasting your time. RUN!_

I ran.

I did.

But not in the expected direction.

Without giving myself to think, I ran towards Jose, my rapist. To save him from dying. From being killed.

I did not think if he deserved it or not.

I did not think if he was worth saving or not.

I did not even think that if I failed, we both would die.

I did not think what would happen to me.

I only thought about helping him. About saving the boy who was probably as much of a victim as I was, if not more.

Thinking that, with my own life in danger, I ran.

Unbeknownst of the outcome, I ran.

I ran to save him.

I ran to save my rapist.

 **Hahahahaha. Don't I just love Cliffhangers? Don't kill me yet though ;)**

 **So how do you find the start of the games? If you are worrying about how gross it was PLEASE do not give up on this story. I wanted the first level to be something that will shake the Contestants pretty bad, but I assure you the coming chapters won't be this gross. There will be lots of thrill and adventure and horror too. But not gross. I want to make my story a thrilling horror (sort of like Conjuring maybe?) and not a disgusting horror (like Final Destination 5 : eww!)**

 **Next Chapter, find out truth about Christopher and get a bloom of romance between him and Ana.**

 **AND DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs~ xoxo**


	13. Anastasia 13

**CHAPTER 13**

 **Savior**

I RAN TOWARDS JOSE.

He was only a few feet away from me.

And the beasts were closing the distance now. Coming nearer towards us.

Another helpless cry spread through the mountains. This time it was of a boy.

His agonizing screams embedded in my soul, crawling deeper. The sounds of tearing of limbs mixed with devilish roars.

 _A few more steps. I could do this. I could save us both._

I covered the last inch of distance between us and grabbed onto his hand, hauling him to stand.

"Come on get up! Get up!" I screamed.

Jose latched onto my hand. Forcing his body to stand. He tried once and stumbled.

 _Leave him just go. Go before it's too late. GOO!_

I ignored that voice and concentrated more on helping him.

 _Have you lost your mind Anastasia? Do you have a death wish?_

Maybe I have lost my mind. Maybe I really had a death wish.

What could be the other possible reason for me to help my bloody rapist? No matter he was forced or not.

"Come on Jose. Get up. Try once more. They are coming, they'll kill you. You understand? You'll die!"

 _Perhaps you need to understand you'll die too_ , _Ana!_

My thoughts broke their train when a strong muscular arm grabbed Jose from the other side and helped him stand.

With support from each side, Jose succeeded this time and stood.

But we had no time to celebrate our little victory.

Because we were still in danger. Still in risk of becoming a means of food to the bears chasing us.

Our helper seemed to have the same thoughts.

"Let's go. We have to keep moving." Christopher screamed.

Bending a little and snaking his arm into Jose's side, he started running, giving me no choice but to follow.

So, mimicking his moves, I supported Jose's weight and continued to run.

It wasn't as easy as I'd thought.

In fact, it wasn't easy at all.

Running together in a trio, with half of the weight of a healthy young man on your shoulder, proved to be extremely difficult.

All I could think was that we won't make it.

 _We won't make it in time. They'll catch us._

 _They'll crush us into their holds._

 _They'll sink their teeth into us._

 _Tear us apart, eat us, destroy us, kill us._

The more I thought about it, the more I panicked.

Yet I kept going.

Adrenaline, instincts, and survival mode kept me pushing my legs faster and harder into the ground.

Still, as I ran, I couldn't help but wonder that why Christopher had come to us?

Surely I saw him crossing me, running ahead of me.

Then why he came back to us knowing what was behind us?

Why he helped us? Why was he even now running, practically carrying Jose, when he could easily leave us and gain speed? Why was he endangering his live?

He didn't even know me or Jose. We weren't even friends.

 _And you are friends with Jose? You know Jose enough to save him?_

Well my case was different. I was being the stupid one. But Christopher didn't seem stupid at all.

He had this calm, clever and collected attitude about him that made it seem highly unlikely of him to ever put himself in dangerous situations.

So why do it now?

 _Shouldn't you be grateful for his stupidity?_

 _You would have probably been shred into limbs along with Jose by now if he hadn't come._

Of course I was grateful.

But that didn't give me the answers that why was he doing this?

What was his reason of helping us? And did he even realize that he could just leave us right now and run ahead?

I guess I should be grateful for that too, if he hadn't realized it yet. Perhaps he was also as stupid as me.

"You are aware that you could drop him and run away, right?"

 _Shut your mouth Ana. You really want him to leave you with your bloody rapist whom you suddenly wish to save?_

He shrugged. Speaking with effort, from running and supporting Jose.

"So could you."

 _Touché dude, touché._

Shaking myself I did my best to run, as fast as possible under the weight of god-knows-how-many pounds.

It helped that Christopher was having a good speed too. It also helped that Jose was trying to run faster as each second passed.

There were others that were slower than us, running behind us even when we were running in much more hard circumstances.

I did not know how far or near were the polar bears now.

Judging from the sounds of their voices and soft crunching of steps I realized a few good hundreds of meters.

They seemed to be slowing down a bit.

I realized with a gasp that those soft crunching sounds under their paws was not of them stepping onto the snow.

They've left the snow and earth far behind. They landed on the bodies covering the area.

Breaking the already dead and rotten corpses of humans and animals.

Maybe that's why they slowed, feasting on the already provided food.

I shuddered.

Nonetheless, we still had to run.

Who knew how much time will the dead meat keep them preoccupied before they noticed the live and running food again?

Wouldn't they enjoy the hunt to something lively? Something alive?

Wouldn't they like it more to bury their claws and jaws into the warm flowing blood rather than the cold rotten one?

I couldn't afford to think answers to those questions.

I just had to run, keep running, a bit more. I could see the peak now, the gold flags waving into the air and the table beneath it.

 _Just a bit more. A few more feet and we'll be safe_.

How will we be safe exactly? I didn't know that. I just knew that we will. My instincts told me that.

A few contestants were ahead of us, more behind.

We were gaining more speed now. Bit by bit, second by second, step by step.

"You can leave me now. I am fine." Jose spoke suddenly after a few minutes.

That was the first time I've heard him speak.

Not that I had paid any attention towards him before, I always managed to keep my distance from him.

By now I was almost sure that maybe he is mute or something.

Now hearing his voice, which came out small and barely audible, I could think of only one thing.

 _He speaks!_

I shook my head. Of course he speaks. What's wrong with that?

Though my intuitions told me there was something weird of him speaking, I couldn't fathom on that for now.

I needed to focus of the danger we were in. I needed to focus on my survival.

Jose said he was fine.

So maybe I could leave him and run with a clear conscience now, knowing that he wasn't in any immediate danger.

"You sure?" I asked him.

He didn't look at me while he replied.

Instead he kept his eyes straight ahead, trying to untangle himself from in between of me and Christopher.

"Yes, please. Thank you."

That's all he said before separating himself and moving forward.

He was limping a bit, but managed to run just fine.

Without wasting another heartbeat, Christopher and I instantly gained speed.

Once again, I ran with everything in me, pushing my skills to the extent. Crossing and overlapping others, leaving them behind.

Christopher must be a good runner too because he matched my pace for every step.

It would have been almost a pleasurable experience had we not been running into our nightmares.

As if we were simply jogging in a park and not running for our lives.

After a while, fatigue caught up with him and he slowed a little, just a few inches behind me.

His shadow still lingered as I kept running.

"For god's... sake.. girl, are you.. are you even... a human?"

He spoke between his breaths. "How can you.. still run? You haven't... faltered a bit."

For some reason it brought a snug smile on my face.

A smile.

Holy shit I smiled!

A genuine smile.

When was the last time I smiled since coming to the Brooke?

I couldn't even remember it.

I turned my neck a little, to share my smile with the one who put it on my face, and saw he was smiling too.

My heart stuttered a little.

God he looked so _fascinating_ when he smiled.

It was like his whole face smiled with him.

His cheekbones, he eyes, his brows, even his ear seemed to smile along with his mouth.

His mouth.

Holy shit his mouth!

It seemed so... uhh.. so... lickable. I had no other word for it.

I shook my head one again, clearing my head from the inappropriate thoughts and turned ahead.

I was running to save myself from being eaten by the beasts chasing us.

I was running on the ground covered with blood and guts and bones under my boots.

How could I think of a pair of some lips in the midst of all this?

God I was sick! I knew it.

Those erotic novels had corrupted my mind. I was a fucking sadist.

"We're almost there." Christopher said, interrupting my musing.

He was right. Another couple of feet and we were there. I could see the table clearly now. It was divided into two portions.

On one side lay some black material, what seemed like bags. Another side was something very eye-catching, glittering material.

 _The golden lotu_ s.

I realized.

I covered the last few inches between myself and the table and pounced on it.

But instead of picking up one, I picked up to two lotuses.

They were shiny and very fragile. I did not know if they were real or not.

I have never heard of golden lotuses. And it was kind of hard to tell their originality since I'd never touched a lotus before.

 _But why the hell did I pick two? I needed only one._

I got my answer when I turned and screamed.

"JOSE!"

He appeared moments later, following two others who were followed by three to four more.

Everyone grabbed a lotus as soon as they reached the table.

I held my hand out, offering the lotus to Jose when he reached us.

He grabbed it and instantly crumbled to ground, catching his breath.

I noticed Christopher and others who had arrived were in similar positions.

I was exhausted but not in as bad shape as them. Still, I decided to sit and renew my lost energy.

Who knows the second level could start straight after this one ends?

Blood froze in my veins. My spine stiffened up along with every muscle in my body.

 _Second level!_

I couldn't bear to think of a second level.

If this what we jut survived was first, what would happen in second? Or third, or fourth, or fifth?

For the first time, I doubted myself, losing some of my confidence in the process.

Could I manage to survive the race?

And if I do, could I manage to survive the outcome of it?

Soon many other contestants came. Screaming and crying and out of breaths.

Each of them latching onto a lotus as if holding onto their lifeline.

It seemed like hours but I knew the whole event had taken place in less than sixty minutes.

From the start till reaching the peak and grabbing a lotus, just an hour.

And in those thirty minutes I came to conclusion with five things.

One : I have a golden lotus. I was safe, for now at least.

Two, not every one of us had made it alive.

Thirdly, there are _four_ more levels to go.

Fourth, I could die in the next four levels.

And finally, there was no hope. No escaping.

I have entered into deepest parts of the blazing hell where I had to survive to meet the unbeknownst end.

None of us dared to speak.

We all sat there trying to gather ourselves and keep from breaking.

Many were in shock I think.

And then we heard those thunderous sounds again.

I hadn't realized it was all silence till the roars began once again.

Maybe those bears had been busy eating the dead that's why they stopped.

It didn't matter now.

Because they were coming towards us. Coming to hunt us. Coming to eat us.

It wasn't over yet.

The first level of the Pinnacle Race wasn't over yet.

But how is that possible? All of us had a golden Ana now. At least those who had survived.

What do we have to do to end the level? How do we survive?

Headmaster had said that once the lotuses were claimed. The level would end. Had they lied to us?

Why were the bears still coming to get us? Who would stop them? Who would save us?

"Why are they still coming?" Someone voiced my broodings.

The cries and helpless whimpers from the contestants gathered around me, began again.

There has to be something. They can't leave us to die. There were four more levels. They must have left us with something!

"Here guys, check this out!" That was Brandon, Kyle's friend.

I turned my head to see Brandon was standing towards the other side of the table.

The side covered in black stuff that we all had forgotten in our desperation to take the lotuses.

"What is it? What are those?" A girl questioned him.

Now I that I took in my surroundings, I realized the table was somehow standing on the edge a cliff. No, it was more like a hive.

I carefully went a few steps around the table to peek down. My insides ran chill at the sight.

It was probably three thousand feet.

I glanced back at the table and saw the black stuff. They were bags. And I knew what kind of bags.

It all clicked at once. The pieces of the puzzle finally came together, providing the precious answer.

I knew what we had to do to survive. I recognized those bags. I didn't need Brandon's answer to know what they were.

Dad was in love with heights. He used to love free-falling. He once said that it was a high he was addicted to.

Whenever he would get time for himself, he would go for sky-diving.

I had helped him pack numerous times to recognize the parachute bags when I see them.

And that's what I was seeing.

"Parachute bags." Brandon answered what I already knew.

The roars were just a few feet away from us now. The bears were nearing us. And there was only one way to survive.

"What do we have to do with them?" Someone else asked. Someone who was definitely stupid not to understand till now.

"That's obvious. We have to jump." I told that stupid boy. Not bothering to turn.

My gaze swaying back and forth to the hive and the bags.

The landing ground at the end of the hive luckily seems normal. A forest covered with snow here and there.

There weren't many trees. But then there wasn't any blood or signs of the dead.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm jumping down there. Parachute or not!"

I shrugged. "Well it's your choice then. Jump or be the snack."

Not bothering to be the part of conversation, I removed my bag pack and wore it on my front, securing it against my chest.

I have to survive. A few more moments and those bears will be crushing us in their enormous paws.

Others could contemplate what they had to do while those beasts eat them but I had no such plans.

This was their choice. I couldn't force anyone to jump down.

This time I couldn't save anyone. Just myself.

So I quickly grabbed a bag from the table and strapped it onto my shoulders.

A handful of the contestants followed my lead.

Kyle, Brandon, Christopher, Lucy and some other girl I didn't remember the name of.

We all wore our parachute bags and stood at the edge of the peak, around the other side of the table.

I looked at each one of them. Nodding in acknowledgment to them.

I could hear other contestants also making their moves to join us. Their survival instincts kicking at last.

I took a deep breath.

 _I can do this! I can do this!_

Without wasting another second, I rushed forward and leapt into the air.

I jumped.

At first I was going upwards.

The velocity of the energy I used to push my body against the snowy and rocky land, came in full force.

The air slapped on my face. My eyes closed with their own accordance against the cutting pressure of the air.

My legs and arms stretched out like a bird.

Like. A. Freaking. Bird.

I was flying!

Oh God, I was actually flying.

But then the velocity lost its control to the gravity calling out to me.

And I fell downwards. Rapidly

Going- no- falling down, down, down.

Fast forces of wind flowing past my ears, dragging me beneath them.

I felt a certain kind of pull forcing me towards the ground.

Yet I wasn't afraid. My limbs stretched out like a divers, helping me form a streamlined body.

The force pulling me weakened a bit, but it was still there, calling me to join the land. For the earth to meet my feet.

But I didn't want to go there. I was happy, even _peaceful_ staying Where I was. In the mid of sky and earth.

This was so... exhilarating. So joyous.

Dad was right. This was a high with its own taste of addiction. This was addictive.

I understood why he was in love with free-falling now.

Because I was too. This flying/falling thing made me feel so alive.

Every nerve, every cell in my body came alive.

An exciting flow of current passed through my chest to belly, or maybe belly to chest.

I didn't know, I didn't care. I was busy enjoying this new high.

It was like no other.

I wanted to go back to the peak and dive again.

But then I remembered why I had jumped at the first place. I remembered where I was.

I remembered that I wasn't doing this as a recreational activity. I was doing this to survive. To remain alive.

I sighed internally.

Way to spoil my enjoyment.

I opened my eyes. The ground was nearing. A few hundred feet or so. It was time to open the parachute.

And so I did.

I reached to the side string hanging from the bag on my left side and pulled it to open the chute.

Only it didn't open.

I tried again, pulled on harder this time, giving the string a slight jerk.

Still, nothing happened.

I tried again and again and again and again.

But. The. Parachute. Just. Won't. Open.

 _What the hell!_

The ground was coming nearer, or rather I was going down faster. But the bag wasn't still opening.

Why wasn't it opening? It was supposed to open!

 _Don't panic Ana. Stay calm. Try again. Keep trying._

I jerked it harder. The hardest I had till now.

The result was shattering.

The string came into my hand, breaking from the bag.

Shit. What should I do now?

The answer was simple.

I couldn't do anything! I was going to fall on the ground from three thousand feet above, without my parachute.

I was going to die!

My parachute either malfunctioned or there never was any in the bag at first place.

Wait. Could that be possible? Would they do this to us?

But we had to survive for their sick race to go on, right?

Could it be that I mistook these bags for something else?

Maybe there was food or, I don't know, maybe guns to stop those bears?

No. I knew they were chute bags. Even Brandon had said so.

Then why didn't my bag open? Had it truly malfunctioned? Or was my doubt correct?

Maybe not all bags had parachute in them. Maybe some were empty.

I remembered Headmaster telling us that not all contestants will be qualified.

I understood the true meaning now.

That meant not everyone will survive for the next level.

That meant some of us will die.

That meant I had picked up the wrong bag.

And I was going to die.

I

Was

Going

To

Die.

 _I was dying!_

The knowledge hit me with full impact, knocking the air out of my lungs and my heartbeat accelerating in the process.

 _Oh no! I am going to die. I can't die._

 _I CAN'T DIE! Not like this, not so soon._

But I was.

Whether it was the malfunctioning of the chute, or me picking the wrong bag.

It didn't matter. It was my bad luck from both the ways.

And the consequences were the same. That I was dying.

Soon I would be landing downwards to the ground and then go upwards forever.

Would it be painful? I didn't want to die painfully.

I had always wanted a peaceful and painless death, in presence of my loved one's. Like mom and dad. Like Mia.

 _Mia_

I was so glad she didn't come here. She wouldn't have been able to cope up.

They would have destroyed her, just like they broke other students like Beth.

 _Oh Beth! I'm so sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you. I'm sorry I couldn't save you._

The experience of dying is bittersweet. You come to realize it's finally the end but you don't want it to end.

Just like I didn't. It was too soon. I can't die now. Please, I couldn't!

I refused to accept that this was the ending. But there nothing for me to do now. So I did the only thing I could. I prayed.

I prayed for the help to arrive. I prayed for some magical power to be provided to me which would help me fly.

I prayed that somehow I could land on a soft mattress instead of the hard woodland below me, and wake up from this terrible nightmare.

I prayed for most impossible and stupid things to happen.

Anything, just anything that could help me from falling. Anything that could help me to live.

I even prayed for my savior, my angel to somehow come and save me. Just like he did last time.

Almost instantaneously, as if my prayers were once again heard, a heavy body weight landed against my back.

Strong arms wrapped around my front, before clasping onto my waist and twisting me so that my face and upper body was cradled against a hard muscular chest.

"Hang on to me!" The voice came through the pressure of winds.

I was amazed at how I could hear it so clearly in my state. More amazed that I could also put a name to that voice.

Christopher.

I didn't need to be told twice. I latched on to him like a lifeline.

My arms crowned around his neck, locking themselves in a deathly grip.

My legs repeated the action around his waist as I clutched him so tightly against me, a spectator would have thought I was strangling him to death.

One of his arm remained around me, holding me tightly, while the other went towards the side of his bag as pulled the string.

Suddenly his bag burst open and something shot upwards from it before opening into a canopy above us.

The sudden pressure caused us to jerk hard in the mid air which resulted in hold being loosened.

Christopher tightened his hold around me, with both arms, to keep me from falling.

The parachute floated above us, slowing down our landing, protecting us from the danger that lay both above and below.

 _At least this one worked!_

It was then I realized that I was saved.

I wasn't dying.

I was safe. Christopher saved me.

The thought of being gifted with life was so overwhelming that it messed with my emotions and leaked from my eyes in form of tears.

Gentle sobs emerged from my chest, shaking us a little as hot tears rolled down from my eyes.

"Shh, you're safe. I've got you. I've got you now. It's gonna be alright."

Vaguely I noticed his rich southern accent as he kept rambling on while we lowered to the ground.

When my feet met the earth, my crying grew stronger.

Christopher didn't say anything, didn't complain at all. He just held me.

His words continued to reassure me while allowing me to relive my near- death experience.

I snuggled into his embrace. It was so warm and comforting and... familiar.

 _Familiar?_

And then I noticed how his hard muscled body felt against mine.

How comfortable safe his scent was. How gently his arms captured me into him.

It was all like déjà vu.

The feel of his body, the smell of him, the soothing caress of his whispers as he tried to calm me down.

I recognized it instantly. How could I not? How could I forget my savior?

My rescuer who had saved me from the worst fate, no matter if only a bit too late.

 _Is he who I think he is? Is what I'm thinking correct? Or am I hallucinating?_

Then I asked myself the billion dollar question.

 _Could Christopher and my rescuer be the same person? Could he be my savior? My blue-eyed angel?_

There was only one way to find that out.

I reluctantly let go of him, my body craving for his affection, and I looked into his eyes.

I had noticed them the first day in Glean Center, but from the distance of a coffee table.

Now as I looked right into them only one word was able to form in my mind.

 _Sky._

It was like I was looking into my own personal sky. Light blue irises with grey flecks illustrating the clouds.

They were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

Eyes that I could never forget.

And then I knew. I knew it was him that day who had saved me.

Who fought with my rapists and freed me.

Christopher looked down at me, his fingers tenderly cupping my cheek. He saw the recognition on my face.

He knew that I knew.

He closed his eyes, pulling me tighter into him as if it was possible for us to be closer.

His hands cupped my face while he leaned down and he... _he kissed me!_

Christopher kissed me.

His lips gently smashed against mine with utmost care. He held me like I was made of glass.

Scratch that. He held me like I was made of feathers.

His kiss was warm and sweet and comforting and so, so safe.

He moved his lips against mine tenderly yet passionately. As if savoring my taste.

I wanted to be lost into his kisses, lean into his touch and drown into him.

I felt so heavy and so light at the same time.

My body gave up into exhaustion. Adrenaline left me free. My mind kept on repeating just one thing.

Christopher saved me. Christopher is my savior, my blue-eyes angel.

Who, right now, was kissing me.

I parted my lips to kiss him back, to return his affection and to show him my gratefulness.

And then... my mind went black as I fell into darkness.

 **Oops! A bit awkward for Ana, don't you think so?  
**

 **Don't forget to review,**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	14. Anastasia 14

**First thing first, I'll announce the winners from last chapter's Contest who had suggested the best songs.**

 **1st Place goes to Reds77 for the song "Alive" by Sia. It was just perfect for this story.**

 **2nd Place goes to AllTheSaintsAreAllMadeOfGold for the song "Slowly Freaking Out" by Skylar Grey which really suited Ana's situation.**

 **3rd Place goes to Evelyn for the song "Dust In The Winds" by Kansas. God, I cried so much listening to it.**

 **Consolation prices are dragged by (your song was way too funny) and GoldenBrownEyes (I loved Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran)**

* * *

 **ATTENTION : I have this little *CONTEST* for my readers. With each chapter that I would be posting from now on, you guys have to tell me a song that you think would suit the chapter. It can be related to any specific scene or situation, or a character, or a whole chapter or even the whole story. Just drop the Song name with the Artist in the review box and I'll listen to it. You can also PM me. The Best Three Song or the Most Suited Three Songs would win a shocking secret from the plot ahead as well as a blurb from the upcoming chapters.**

* * *

 **There are sometimes when you just get drowned into the story while writing and this chapter particularly had been like that. I really didn't want to end it but it already becoming way longer than needed. I hope you enjoy sweetness of this chapter because as much as I love Ana & Christian, I couldn't help but fall for Christopher and Mia here.**

 **P.S - it was kinda funny how you guys though Christopher and Christian could be the same guy. Maybe I'd just meant that because they were brothers that is why they have same qualities. Or maybe some of your theories might be close to the actual plot ;) I'm not denying any or your assumptions but not encouraging them either.**

 **So only way for you to find out if you're right or not is to read.**

 **Enjoy Reading XD**

 **CHAPTER 14**

 **Safe Haven**

WE WALKED IN THE woods for hours with no direction.

No destination.

Whether we were headed for another deadly level of this hellish race or finding an exit, no one knew that.

We were all in shock, scared out of our minds and grieving.

Grieving for our fellow contestants, our friends who we had lost today.

Only nineteen out of twenty-five had come out alive. Six students were gone.

Dead.

Six lives were lost into the mountains.

Six teenagers who would never see their life ahead.

Six brave souls who were killed by the hands of evil.

Four of them had never reached the table where golden lotuses lay.

They were either crushed or torn limb by limb and eaten. They became the warm live food to those humongous polar bears.

One of them was Gracie.

The pain of losing her hit deep into my chest cavity.

Every time I thought of her, it became almost unbearable for me to breathe.

My heart beat painfully shrinking in the ribcage as my lungs contracted almost forcefully.

Each breath in her memory came out as a battle.

But I let myself think of her more and more. I disallowed my mind to wander away from her memories.

I grieved silently, letting myself absorb the agony as a tribute to her.

I needed to feel that pain, needed to let it get the best- or rather the worst- out of me.

Because I deserved it.

I deserved to be hurt and to be in misery. I deserved every source of punishment for being the reason of her death now.

She was dead. Gracie, poor sweet woeful Gracie, was no longer there with us. With me.

I hadn't known her for long, just two and a half days.

Yet her softness with her bravery, her willingness to break through the emptiness embedded deep into my brain.

Nagging at me constantly, blaming myself for her death.

She would have been alive if I would have been able to safe her. Like Jose, I could have helped her too.

If only I would have heard her. If only I wouldn't have lost myself into running so freely. If only I hadn't led all of them towards the first level.

If only, if only.

Though it wasn't her life I was to be accused for. There were five other lives too.

Five other people, _kids,_ who would have lived if it hadn't been for my stupid bravery to lead them.

My stupid fucking bravery. It was the second time it got me into trouble.

The first time being at the Gleaning.

But not only had it affected me, it had cost six teenagers their life.

And it was all my fault.

The guilt weighed too much on my shoulders, landing heavy on my body and tainting my soul with dark sins forever.

The other two contestants, who were lucky enough to get a Golden Lotus, were the unfortunate ones to get the wrong parachute bags.

Just like me.

The difference was that they weren't saved by any blue-eyed angel.

They had fallen straight to the ground. To their death.

I was right when I thought that not all bags would have chutes in them. It was a trap.

My chute hadn't malfunction, it wasn't there at the first place.

So were the bags of those two. But unlike me they met with their fate.

Again it was on me because I was the one to suggest then to jump of the cliff.

I should've been dead with them. Except that I wasn't. I was saved.

Saved by my savior for the second, probably the third time if I count him helping me back with Jose.

The questions kept bouncing back at me.

Why had he saved me so many times? How did he know that day I was going to be raped when I even didn't know?

Why did he help Jose knowing he was one of the rapists?

I knew I was the crazy one, but why would _he_ do that?

And why was he such an ass to me at the Glean Center for those two days?

Only solution to obtain those answers was to talk to him about it. Clear the air between us.

Sounded simple and easy enough but it wasn't. Not. Even. A. Bit.

How do I exactly face the person whom I fainted on while he was kissing me?

That has got to be the most humiliating event ever occurred in the history of kisses.

But the kiss...

Warm blood flushed in my face as my cheeks heated while I thought of that kiss.

God! That kiss was so... absolutely, amazingly, awesomely _perfect._

My only regret was fainting before ending it.

We hadn't talked much after that incidence.

When I had come back to consciousness I was lowered to the ground, surrounding by Christopher's arms while Lucy, Emily, Kyle and Brandon stood over me with concerned looks.

Christopher had asked if I was alright. When I answered him assertive, he had helped my stand up.

As soon as I had gained my balance and was standing on my own, I had asked them about the missing person of our newly formed alliance. About Gracie.

It was Emily who had broken the devastating news to me.

She was one of the last contestants to reach the table, getting almost crushed in the way.

She told us they her and Gracie were run in together. Since none of them were good at running, bears had almost caught up with them.

Emily had come close, too close. The disastrous clawed scratches on her left arm and cuts on her jacket were evidence to it.

Somehow, with death almost knocking on the door had given her a new will to survive and she took off like a horse beaten with stick.

Gracie hadn't been so lucky.

Her death left a mark on all of us. Even the Stupid Boy had understood the true dangers of this gave.

Everyone knew the reality now. Knew that were surviving in a deadly battle.

Where not all of us would make it alive and so every move on our way was to be counted, along with every breath.

I could bet a few of them were already planning strategies in their mind.

Wondering and targeting on who to take out so that their chances of surviving would increase.

This was what BMHS had done to us. Beth was right.

They had turned our own kind against us. Brought out our primitive side to be faced.

We were the needy animals begging for our lives that would do anything to survive, stoop down to any level and surpass any moral boundaries.

We were humans after all.

And they had shown us our true nature, our true colors.

It turned my blood to fire. My bones to coal. I was so, so angry. Filled with rage, with fury.

I had this urge to harm those demons who had made our lives worse than hell.

If I happened to come upon a route to escape and the way to BMHS through this mindless hiking, I would take the track to BMHS.

And kill every single of the staff members leaving Marks and Headmaster for the last.

I would kill them in their own brutal way.

First subjecting them to the tortures they inflicted upon us, the kill on them slowly. While doing so, I won't provide them any mercy and enjoy every second of it.

I would find my salvation in the revenge. The vengeance.

Now I realized the true meaning of the saying 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'.

I wanted to be cold like them, if not colder. To provide them a taste of their own medicine. To be as bad as them if not worse.

The thoughts of revenge, the need of vengeance was flaming my soul. Adding a motive to my existence.

If I survived through the Pinnacle Race, my life would have only one goal.

To destroy Brooke Mountain High School and save every single victim. Including the seniors.

They were as much of innocent as we were. Just because they had given up and allowed themselves to be broken didn't mean they couldn't be fixed back.

I looked over at Jose.

He walked several feet away from all the contestants.

It was nothing new, considering he had always walked alone.

But what was new was the emotions on his face, the change in his stance.

He looked no longer like a lifeless robot, he looked human.

The changes were subtle but easily visible to anyone who would pay enough attention.

His steps stumbled every now and then, his gaze would sway here and there instead of looking straight ahead, his brows would furrow to hide the agony from being displayed on his face.

He was suffering, I realized.

And though I shouldn't have taken any joy from it, I certainly did.

Not because I wanted him to suffer for what he and his friends did to me.

If I'd wanted that I would have left him in the bloody massacred field.

It was because this process of misery and suffering was somehow undoing his conditioning, his puppet-like behavior and bringing him back to life that I was content.

Approximately after three to four hours of walking, most of us were exhausted, hungry, thirsty and in need of some rest.

"I can't walk an inch more." Lucy stated.

Brandon nodded. "I agree. Let's just settle here and eat for a while. We can continue to hike when we are fully rested."

The others in our group agreed. Many contestants had already either rested or walked ahead leaving eleven of us.

Kyle, Brandon, Lucy, Emily, me and Christopher. Another contestant had who had helped Kyle during the run had joined us too.

His name was Garrett.

The other four were three girls and a boy.

Two of those girls, whose name I didn't know, were staying off close to each other and now to us too.

Maybe because we had probably the largest group among the contestants.

Though I didn't mind them tagging with us. More the merrier, right?

Remaining two were Jose and another senior girl. She still wore her yellow band.

She also looked worse than Jose. There were signs of fear and dread on her face. Fine tremors were visible in her shaking posture.

But apart from that she was still vacant. Refusing to meet anyone's stare, not speaking, not complaining either.

None of us still had said anything.

Apart from 'Are you okay' or 'Thank God you're fine' we had yet to have any sort of conversation.

No one was eager enough to break the degrading silence.

We all were in shock. Still trying to catch our breath from the nightmares of first level.

But we all sat down to regain our strength. To allow ourselves to give into the puny moments for our lost friends.

We gave ourselves few minutes to dread, to be scared of the future.

I ate few strips of beef jerky I had packed and some dried legumes that Emily had offered us.

Minutes later, most of us dozed off while some were too scared to close their eyes in case we relived the horrors or surviving in our dreams.

Soon the sun broke through the woods, setting higher. Almost at the top of our heads. I realized it must be close to noon.

When we had arrived at the Brooke Mountain Range, it was still a little dark.

Dawn had broken but sky was filled with grey clouds, reflecting our grim moods.

 _Just like Christopher's eyes._

I pushed away that thought. I couldn't focus on that right now.

I knew that eventually we had to talk but I wasn't prepared for it. I needed more time to let the things sink in deep.

So I did what I had longed to do for five months.

I stood up, walked away from our now-resting squad and took few steps deeper into the woods until I found a clearing.

The woods weren't so dense there. Neither were they covered with snow like the mountains above.

Just a few flakes lying here and there. It didn't seem like Alaska at all in fact.

Avoiding the unnecessary details in stepped into the clearing. It was small yet big enough for me.

The treeless grassland stretched a few meters and hardly any snow was visible.

It was almost magical.

I went further till I stood in the center of it. Then I looked upwards and fulfilled my five- long-months wish.

I saw the sun.

It was so vibrant. Dancing in the sky spreading light, warmth and hope. It gave me things I hadn't had since I had arrived in Alaska.  
Before the Brooke, I had never realized the importance of this celestial body.

Maybe we could survive without it. But it would be a meaningless life full of depression.

Sun provided happiness, contentment, serenity. It provided strength to me.

Just by looking at it, I believed that everything would be right in the world again.

I didn't flinch from its sharp rays entering straight into my eyes. Neither did I look away.

I needed this. I needed the strength and the hope that came along with the rays of the sun.

The glorious heat and peaceful silence of the nature surrounding me became too much.

It was too overwhelming.

My eyes refused to be open any longer. My legs refused to handle my body wait.

So, maybe for once, I would gave in to my self-pity. I thought.

I let myself crumble to the ground. My eyes closed and sudden tears slipped from under them.

I lied down on the soft ground as the blissful sunlight continued to pour over me, protecting me from the darkness of the world.

And I let my guilt, my self-pity, my resentment take over me.

The sobs that broke through my chest were so powerful it shook not only me but the ground too. Or so I felt.

It was like an earthquake occurring from the core of the planet.

Except that it wasn't the Earth having earthquakes. It was _me_. The tremors came deep within from _my_ core.

But it wasn't enough. Not even close to purge all the anguish that was buried inside me.

I was getting frustrated. I was so angry.

Angry at myself for being here. Showing my stupid bravery for a none-worthy defiant act.

Angry at Mia for sending me here even if she didn't know the truth of the Brooke.

Angry at Aunt Maggie for not stopping me to go, for being so selfish.

Angry at my parents for leaving me behind.

Either they should've been here with me, to protect me from those evil bastard, or they should've taken me with them.

Death with loved ones was surely better than living in a hell without them.

I wailed, throwing my arms like a mad person. I shrieked in shattered sorrow. I bawled in complete wretchedness.

Now I truly wished I hadn't been alive to face this day. That I had died with mom and dad. I missed them so much.

Strong familiar arms caged around me bringing me closer in the crook of his shoulder.

I didn't need to look who it was. My body instantly recognized the touch.

My savior had come to my rescue once again.

His arms had become my safe haven. His scent comforted me, calmed my erratic shuddering.

He didn't say anything. He let me cry, let my pour out my heart while providing me comfort all the time.

Every once in a while, he would softly caress my face or pat down my back.

But not once did he tell me stop or lied to me that everything was fine, that it was okay. Never asked me if I was alright.

And I was grateful for it. Beyond grateful in fact.

I needed this. To cleanse my system from all the traumas I had faced and prepare myself for what I had yet to face.

So I took it all out of me one by one.

The loss of my parents. The failed relationship with my Aunt. Mia leaving me forever to go to LA.

The prisoner of the Brooke. The rape, the detention and all other horrific incidents at BMHS. And at last, the Pinnacle Race.

The gruesome ground, the bears, losing Gracie, almost dying myself.

I briefly wondered if I had died back then, when the chute hadn't opened.

Would it have been better? Would it have saved me from the dangers lying ahead in my dark future?

"Stop thinking too much, Mia. You'll only harm yourself more." Christopher interrupted my sorrowful thoughts, his tone soft and gentle yet firm.

I opened my eyes to look at him. Once again I was struck by the raw beauty of his eyes.

The grey flecks were lighter than earlier, the blue shining brightly. It was a mesmerizing sight. The one I didn't think I deserve.

And what's more pathetic of me? I didn't thank him once for helping me, for saving my good-for-nothing life.

I was truly the worst human being alive. Maybe I really did deserve to be in this abyss of horrors.

But he didn't. How could someone like him deserve to be here? Angels belonged in heaven, not hell.

Still he was here, protecting me from this nightmare, converting it into a bearable bad dream.

"What is it?" He asked, sensing the whirlpool of my brooding.

"I am a horrible person." I replied him honestly.

"Why?"

"Because I never thanked you for what all you did for me."

He chuckled. His light-hearted persona ignited positive energy through me. His laugh was the much needed therapy.

Christopher brushed a strand from my face and scooped an arm below my head, providing me his bicep as a comfortable pillow.

I leaned into him without hesitation. It felt so right. His affection was something I was beginning to crave.

He inclined his face towards me and kissed my forehead tenderly.

My heart stuttered a beat. Again.

"Go to sleep Mia. Dream a happy world. A place far away from here."

"It won't change the reality." My voice came thick with resignation.

"Yes it won't, but it will give the much needed optimism to you."

He was right. I needed to renew my spirit. But I was afraid to close my eyes. The surroundings had already proven to be lethal.

What if something happened while I lay blissfully in ignorance?

Christopher seemed to understand my hesitation. His hold tightened around me.

"I'll protect you. Go be happy, be far away. I won't let anything happen to you. Sleep now."

His words were truthfully sharp and his tone earnest. I immediately believed him.

His reassurance was so profound that I instantly drifted to sleep.

SOMEONE SHOOK ME GENTLY, disrupting my peaceful sleep.

Damn Mia for waking me!

She knew how much I hated getting up before the alarm.

"Come on wake up." She said in a gentle tone.

That was strange and so unlike her. Mia always loved the opportunities to get on my nerves.

I had almost expected her to scream in my ear or jerk my blanket away.

"Get up."

Ugh... she was irritating me.

My hand searched for my covers but when I didn't find any I guessed she had already taken them off.

Bitch!

Never mind. I was still going to ignore her.

I shifted away from the source of her voice and snuggled into my pillow.

Strangely it felt harder than my normal but also warmer. And more comfortable. As in oh-so- comfortable.

Something warm lay against the side I was facing. I edged deeper towards it to shield myself against the chilly weather.

I heard a snicker. "Oh come on love birds wake up already!"

 _Love birds? Who was she calling love birds?_

"Mia get up! I don't have much patience."

 _Mia?_

Why was she calling her own name? Was she crazy? I knew it! I had doubted her from quite a long time.

But why did she call herself Mia? She hated that name.

"Mia for God's sake just WAKE UP!"

The shrill caused me to jerk my eyes open. My pillow suddenly jerked up too, causing me to rise in a jack-straight position.

My muscles complained in the process causing me to whimper.

"Uh sorry Mia." Christopher said, rubbing his eyes.

"What the hell Lucy? You could have woken us more sophisticatedly."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

It took me slower than it should have to realize where I was. Maybe because I was extremely reluctant to come back to reality.

I was surprised that I'd actually listened to Christopher and dreamt back of home.

"I tried that believe me. But you were so busy cuddling each other that you didn't hear me."

My cheeks instantly flushed. My flesh felt hot as I blushed.

Christopher simply shook his head and got up, holding out a hand to help me up.

I scowled at him then stood up on my own but his only reaction was to laugh.

He looked so cute when he laughed.

Lucy scowled at him too for some reason.

"Do you guys have any idea how worried we got when we woke up to find you both missing?" She almost yelled.

Christopher's laugh faded instantly. "Sorry"

"We weren't that far. It's just a few feet away from where you guys were sleeping." I argued.

Lucy shook her head in frustration. "Let's go. Everyone's looking for you."

It was darker now but not that much. The sun must have set recently.

I looked down at my wrist watch. It shocked me to see it was seven in the eve.

 _We slept for about seven hours straight?!_

We found our way back in the woods effortlessly.

"Where's Kyle? And Brandon? And Garrett?"

"Like I said, we all were searching for you. Garrett and Kyle went backwards I think. And Brandon to east."

"I'll go get them." Christopher said as he took off.

"Mia, where have you been?" Emily asked frantically. "We were so worried you'd left us."

I winced. Feeling genuinely at fault now.

"I'm really sorry Em, I just found a clearing to soak some sunlight and Christopher followed me and we just happened to fall asleep I guess."

"So you didn't leave us?"

"Of course not Emily. How could you think that?"

I sighed in exasperation. "I would never do that. I would never leave anyone of you, I promise that."

"I know." Lucy jumped in.

"I know you won't leave just like that. It's just not like you. Christopher maybe, but not you. Which is why I got worried that something might have happened to you."

"I am really, really sorry guys. I should've have told one of you where I was going."

"Apology accepted. But Mia what were you thinking going alone in woods? And falling asleep?" Lucy continued her scolding.

"You know we are in a death trap where anything could happen. What if some animal like those bears would've come? I never considered you for the stupid type. You could've been in some serious danger."

But I wasn't. Christopher had kept his promise. He had protected me while I slept peacefully. I had felt safe in his arms.

My face felt hot again as I answered. "Don't worry I was safe."

I didn't know what was going on between me and Christopher. There was so much we still had to talk. But for some reason it felt better this way.

Sometimes, leaving the things unsaid values the emotions in them more.

And for the record we had much bigger problem to face. Like surviving the Pinnacle Race and finding a way out.

"Mia, what's going on between you and Christopher?" Emily asked me.

Wow! Were my emotions that clear on my face?

Mia has always told me I was an open boom to her. But I thought it was just her because she knew me so well.

Guess I was wrong.

"Uhm, nothing for now." I answered as honestly as I could.

"He seems pretty bestowed with you, though." Emily replied with a mischievous grin.

"Whaaat? I'm sure you're imagining things."

"No she ain't and neither am I, Mia." Lucy joined in with her sharp intelligent eyes and a knowing smile.

"The way he looks at you when you aren't aware. The way he was holding you when you guys were sleeping together. Not to mention he saved you from falling on your ass. You should've seen his face when you passed out."

"Wait." Emily brought a hand up. "What do you mean they were sleeping together?" She turned to me.

"Mia, when did you guys sleep together? And is it that way I'm thinking it is?"

"No it wasn't like that. Nothing happened!"

I was mortified.

Lucy threw her head back and laughed hysterically. Emily joined her soon.

"Okay I can see you guys are in desperate need of a hot-romance gossip. But don't you dare target me."

"Target you for what?" Christopher asked as he returned back with other guys.

Garrett woke Jose and other girls up. I noticed they were two now. The senior must have left.

Others picked up their bags while Christopher was still looking at me expectantly.

 _Shit! How can I tell him what Lucy and Em were talking about?_

So I lied.

"Uh.. nothing ?"

Okay, I _tried_ to lie.

Obviously it was a wasted effort because Christopher gave me the look telling that he definitely didn't buy it.

I wouldn't have bought it myself. I was a horrible liar.

But thankfully he didn't say anything else as he picked up his bag, handed me mine and we began walking.

"We've got to move fast. Others must've already reached the checkpoint or found some route to exit." Garrett said after a while.

At this point we would be lucky if we found either.

I was pretty sure the path led us nowhere. But since we didn't have choice but to move ahead, we continued our hiking.

"So where exactly did you guys disappear to?" Kyle asked. Probably to fill in the discomforting quiet.

Again, I blushed furiously. Again, I lied.

"Uh.. nowhere?"

 _Dammit Anastasia! You badly need some classes on how to lie._

"That doesn't sound like nowhere." He face lit up in amusement.

"Oh! They were sleeping together when Lucy found them." Emily taunted.

My blush deepened.

Brandon joined in on my humiliation too. "You mean sleeping together as in..."

"As in nothing! Just calm down guys."

Kyle chuckled. "Your face doesn't seem like nothing, darling."

"I'm serious. Emily is making up stuff."

"No she's not." _Lucy! Not you too!_ "They were so cuddly together. I'm sure if I hadn't interrupted it was gone wayyy further like this..."

And then she started making those irritating, embarrassing smooching noises and I wanted to die.

They all laughed at my expense but I let them. It was a much needed break from all the scarily intense shut going on.

"I think you're just jealous it wasn't you instead of her, Lucy." Christopher commented.

"Damn straight I am. You're one fine hot guy Christopher."

Why did I suddenly feel so jealous that she called him hot?

He certainly was hot. She had just said the truth, right?

 _But she didn't mean it as a truthful statement, stupid. She was flirting with him._

Okay, maybe. Lucy was an attractive girl. Maybe she was flirting, maybe she wasn't.

"Also I wouldn't be stupid enough like Mia to just simply sleep with you." She said with a wink.

Okay, she was definitely flirting.

"Ooohh! Look at your face; Mia." Kyle pointed at me. "Lucy be careful or she might kill you in your sleep."

"Shut up guys. It's nothing. I am just... thirsty."

Well that was truth at least.

Christopher removed his canteen from his bag and handed me. "Here"

The others aww-ed and oooh-ed in the background.

"I have my own water, thanks!" I didn't mean to snap at him, but it came like that.

The others burst out laughing. Thankfully Christopher joined them too, taking no offense of my snapping.

I just sulked as I took out my bottle and drank from it.

Someone few meters away from us cleared her throat.

We all looked turned to look at the two girls from earlier. I also noticed Jose was still tagging with us.

Though maintaining a distance and not laughing like us.

Still an improvement.

"Umm.. we were wondering if we both could join you guys? If that's not a problem?" The girl on right asked timidly.

They were both blonde and fair-skinned so it was difficult to distinguish between them in the dark.

"Sure. More the merrier." Christopher replied.

I smiled thinking that he spoke the same words I'd thought that morning. Guess we had some similarities.

The girls introduced themselves as Wendy and Angela.

Then we continued our hiking as Garrett introduced us all and Kyle made more joke at Christopher and my expense.

Soon it converted into a match as I came back with sassy replies while others cheered on.

Even Jose smiled when I made a comment on Kyle's 'micro dick' and how girls always ran away after seeing it.

We were in our own happy bubble but soon, too soon it popped out and burst up as we reached the second level's checkpoint.

I halted in my steps. Scared to move another centimeter.

The first level had cost us Gracie. We didn't want to lose anyone else this time. At least I didn't.

Christopher reached for my hand. My fingers entwined with his. He spoke silently a much needed message.

That we weren't alone. We've got each other's back and we'll get through this.

I held my hand out to Lucy with same message and soon every one of us joined each other's hand. Connecting and committing to each other.

Jose, Wendy and Angela also joined.

Together, we stepped ahead to face our fate.

With our hands still joined, we crossed the check point to face another deadly level of The Pinnacle Race.

 **I am crying so bad right now. I cried when Ana saw the sun, when she felt the guilt, when Christopher comforted her and finally when they reached the checkpoint. I cried a lot in this chapter. Are you too?**

 **DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW OR YOU'LL BE SENT TO THE BROOKE. MIND YOU!**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	15. Anastasia 15

**CHAPTER 15**

 **Rage**

THE BELL TO OUR destruction rang once again.

It was the same bell that rang before, when it marked the beginning of first level.

The same petrified sound, one of a dying animal that was crying and screaming in agony.

But not for help, it sounded like the tortured creature was crying for the end to come quickly.

For the death to come and take it's pain away.

The starting bell of the levels in itself was a healthy dose of fear.

It warned us to not underestimate the race, the levels. It cautioned us of what we were going to face ahead.

I wished that I could stand here forever, analyze more about the sound of the bell and how it impacted on each individual.

Sadly, that wasn't an option. There was only one thing to do.

The race had begun for the second time. I needed to run.

But I was so scared, shameful to admit so, from the last time. The horrors of Level One were still fresh in my mind. Along with the heartache of losing Gracie.

 _Who are we going to lose this time?_

I swept my gaze at each of my newly-formed friends.

I didn't want to lose anyone of them. But as much as it hurt my pride to admit, I couldn't save all of them.

That didn't mean I won't try though. Even if I had to die for that, at least I'll die trying.

Funny how all this went through my mind in just a mere second.

Seriously, not kidding.

The analyzing of the bell sound, the fear from previous level, my promise of helping others.

All of these thoughts occurred one after the other within a second.

Because in the next second, as soon as the bell died out, I was running again.

This time there was no snow, no bloodbath, no disgusting remains of the dead.

Just woods, dense woods, with lush greenery that appeared to be blackish under the soft moonlight.

Nonetheless, it was a healthy form of nature. Much, much better than the last arena.

My shoes hit the hard, grassy ground as I criss-crossed through the thick branches of the trees.

I had never been into woods. My parents were never a big fan of camping or hiking.

Though I once went with Mia for trekking. But that was all.

My only contact to the true wilderness of nature had been through visual reality.

Televisions, computers, internet videos and images.

I had always been mesmerized by the forests and woods.

In fact, I wanted to be a wildlife photographer.

It was my dream to capture the dangerous yet serene beauty of nature in its truest, wildest form.  
People often told me how I walked like a ghost.

They would actually freak out at me silently walking behind them. I never did it purposely, it was natural.

Maybe I could use ability on animals too. Snap pictures of them when they are totally unaware.

Yeah, that was my dream.

A dream that I may not be able to accomplish if I never got out of here.

Which was why I needed to run faster right now.

"What the... Mia, could you please.. slow down for... for our sake?" Lucy spoke, actually yelled, behind me in between her breaths.

It reminded me of Christopher and how he was almost in same position as hers last time. Gasping for air, annoyed at my speed.

I laughed freely as I sped faster while I taunted them.

"Come on try to chase me." I yelled back.

Seconds later I felt someone catching up onto me. I already knew it was Christopher, he was the only one who could keep up with me.

Though he lacked stamina and I wasn't running at my full speed yet.

I smirked at him and he winked back. Together we ran, leaving others behind us, into the exhilarating force of nature.

I had always enjoyed running alone. Mia used to request me A lot of times to run with her but I never saw the point in it.

It's not like you could chit chat like joggers when you are running. So why need a partner?

But now as I ran with Christopher, I got my answer. People run together to share the thrill, the ecstasy that comes with running.

The silent yet speaking winds communicated with us. The trees waved at us. The ground tried to keep up with us. But we were unstoppable, unbeatable.

It was an experience worth sharing with him. It was that good.

And then, just like all the good things come to an end. This one came too.

I wasn't sure what exactly happened.

One minute, I was running blindly as look over at Christopher, flashing my biggest smile.

Next thing I knew, his expressions turned from dazzling to fearful as he shouted my name and pushed me to the ground.

The impact of falling was met straight by me knees and left cheek.

My face instantly screamed in pain. Before I could process anything, Christopher landed on top of me, then brought me up on his body. Then I went under him again.

I realized we were rolling. That he was rolling me, rolling us on the ground.

The question was : Why?

What did he see that I didn't? What kind of danger were we in?

The answer came out in the form of a heavy branch that came out of nowhere to attack us. Again Christopher moved us at last second, the branch almost grazing my arm.

"Look out for the trees." Someone shouted far behind us. Garrett, I recognized.

"Mia, you okay?" Christopher asked me.

I was lying on top of him. His hands were shaking my shoulders while his eyes roamed on my body, looking for any injuries.

His face had lost its calmness and his eyes were raging with panicked emotions.

 _He's sacred,_ I realized.

Which was not good. Christopher being scared meant whatever the danger was it was actually scary. As in fucking scary.

I looked around us, swiping my eyes to assess what was going on.  
The serenity of nature in which I was enjoying so much had been disrupted and the quiet trees had suddenly turned wild.

They were moving and not just moving, they were shaking, violently!

Their branches were so massive and going everywhere. Attacking at anything or anyone that came within the reach.

It was like they weren't trees but something more. Like they've come to life.

What was I witnessing was hard to explain. Surely trees were considered as living beings but they were stationary. These tress where not stationary at all.

In fact they were just the opposite.

Like the giants gone crazy and moving their limbs aggressively.

Like an octopus starving and stretching out its arms to reach out and grab anything to eat.

Does an octopus ever go crazy or act aggressive? I had no idea.

But that was the most vivid imagination that came in my mind while I took in the vision in front of my eyes.

We were already standing and running when we all saw what happened next.

I had never been more scared in my life. Not even when I thought I was falling to my death when my parachute wasn't opening.

Nothing could be compared to this moment. It had the power to stop my heart in its own way.

A scream erupted from somewhere behind us. And because it was so guttural, I had to turn back and see it.

That was when I saw what this level was about. What were we running from in Level Two.

A boy fallen on the ground. Thick branches were wrapped around his thighs, arms and torso.

The boy was shaking and moving wildly. Trying desperately to shake off the braches away.

All of sudden, he was being drawn backward. Drawn by the branches, towards the tree which I assumed the branches belonged to.

In a flash, the boy was up in the air as more branches wrapped around him dragging him towards the center of the tree.

I stood frozen, my mouth gaping open, watching it like a magic show.

Sitting in the audience like a hypnotized spectator who couldn't seem to turn her eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of me.

Then the illusion broke, as a sharp pointed branch went straight through his chest, exiting from the other side of his body.

Several other branches followed the same route until the whole torso of the boy along with his neck and legs was covered with branches stabbing into him.

By this point the he had stopped moving, stopped screaming, stopped crying.

Maybe because by this point he was probably dead.

But the show wasn't over. The last magic trick was yet to be performed.

The branches moved through his body in sync. Bringing him closer to the center, the point where the trunk of the tree started.

His body was being folded into two as it was pushed seeped towards the trunk and once again, all of sudden, his body vanished.

Vanished.

As in invisible.

Disappearing into thin air.

Well, not thin air but thick branches instead.

The whole scene could be compared to only one daily life scenario.

When you're hungry enough to stab your food with the fork and gulp it down.

That was what happened. It took hardly a few second for the three to attack the boy with its branches and gulp it down into its trunk.

The trunk swallowed the boy.

 _It ate him._

The tree ate a human.

It was a carnivorous tree.

The one who ate a man.

This was it, what we were supposed to run from. No polar bears this time. Our enemies where these carnivorous trees.

The man-eating trees.

I always thought they were just myths. Something only seen in Evil-Dead movies.

Guess I was wrong.

They were real. At least in the Brooke they were.

And I was once again a prey, a food item. Just the beasts this time were different.

They were all around us and they were wilder, more dangerous than the bears.

Lucy screamed from somewhere. "Mia watch out!"

I blinked, a little dazed from what I'd seen. Even my ever-strong instincts were dulled by the boy's death.

So it took me longer than it should have to listen to the warning she had shouted at me.

In a blink, a strong stem had coiled tightly around my ankle like a snake and was attempting to drag me down.

The panic and fear was all the kick start my mind needed.

Another arm of the monstrous trees came to attack me but I was quick. I ducked down, narrowingly missing the branch.

Sadly I couldn't do anything about the stem still tied at my foot.

The pull of the fragile looking plant was surprisingly strong.

I tried to yank my foot away which only made it pull harder, causing me to lose my balance and fall.

Christopher jumped at the stem with a butcher knife in his hand.

In one fluent motion, he raised his arm up high and brought it down ruthlessly.

The result was desirable as the stem was cut down thus, losing its grasp on me.

The remains of that were still wrapped at my ankle loosened as well and fell away.

Christopher grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up to my feet.

Then he yelled for others to hear.

"Stay clear of the plants and the trees. Keep dodging them as you run and grab a weapon. Anything sharp enough to cut."

He took my hand and we began to run. Dodging, ducking, jumping and bending to avoid getting trapped by our predators.

As we ran, I also took the opportunity to dig out the switchblade I had packed, from my bag.

Suddenly I was thankful for my insight to pack it while I was at BMHS.

"Where'd you get that thing?" I pointed at the knife Christopher held in a deadly grip.

"Our school. While packing."

"From BMHS? They allowed you to have it?"

He shrugged. At least I think he did. Shrugging while running was difficult to differentiate.

"Must have thought I was planning to kill other contestants. That's why they gave it to me so easily."

Did he? Had he planned to kill others?

It would make sense. Christopher was smart. He had good survival-skills. He was an almost, if not the most, lethal contestant among us.

He could easily kill the best of us to terminate his competition.

Then why hadn't he killed anyone yet?

Maybe to survive the levels.

Why would he need to dirty his hands when the race were already taking care of it?

Seven of us had already died. Increasing his chances. Maybe he was saving the killing part for the last.

But then why would he save me? Maybe because he needed someone to watch his back?

Did that mean when the time came he would kill me too?

"I could see where your mind is going Mia. And no, I don't plan on using this on other contestants unless they think of harming me or you first."

My chest tightened.

He mentioned me too.

If anyone tried to harm me, he won't hesitate to hurt them back. The conviction in his words guaranteed that.

 _Stupid Ana. Always having doubts._

Of course Christopher would never hurt me. How could I doubt him? How could I even think of the possibility of him kill in me?

It wasn't just me who saw his attachment towards me. Others saw it too. Emily had said it that he seemed bestowed with me.

Well the feeling was kind of mutual.

 _And thinking about all this in the middle of death ground was disgusting._

 _What's wrong with you Ana? Want to die? All you have to do is be the nature-lover and go hug a tree._

God! I needed to pay attention.

This was not the right time to think of my attraction with Christopher or how it affected us.

Though I had to admit he was a whole lot, smokin'-hot attractive.

 _Jesus Anastasia. Focus!_

I shook my head and tried to listen to that wise voice inside my head who had always saved me from getting in trouble.

Well, worse kind of troubles I should say.

I was already in too much of trouble. The Brooke, BMHS, the Pinnacle Race, Christopher.

What more of a trouble can I get in?

A loud screeching sound, shouting for help was my answer.

Jose.

I turned my head in his direction to see him lying on the ground, fighting off the branches that surrounded him.

More were coming to wrap around him.

I bolted in his direction without a second thought when another cry came from opposite direction.

This one called my name.

"MIAAA! HELP ME!"

The fear in her voice made me turn to look at her. It was the new blonde. Wendy or Angela, couldn't tell which one.

She was in a tangle of stems and branches as well. It covered her whole torso.

I was conflicted who to help first when Christopher solved the problem for me.

"Go to Jose. I'll help her. But Mia, if you can't get him out in time, get away from those trees and run. You hear me?"

I nodded.

Christopher seemed satisfied with my response and began to run in Wendy/Angela's direction when I called him out.

"Christopher?"

He stopped and turned at me.

I covered the distances between us in two steps. I know it was a stupid and dangerous thing to do it here, but I couldn't help it.

I wrapped my hands around his neck, stood up on my toes and kissed him.

It was a short, quick but an affectionate kiss.

"Be careful." I whispered against his lips.

He smiled. And though we were in middle of a deathly arena with predators around us, his smile still lit up my soul.

"You too babe." He pecked me lightly on my lips and then disappeared in other direction.

I leapt off to Jose as well.

Just as I reached him, a branch stabbed him into his upper arm. He howled in pain.

I didn't wait for the branch to find its way through the other end of his arm.

Bringing my blade up, I brutally sliced the branch.

It wasn't as clean cut as the butcher's knife had done it. But it did the job in mere seconds.

My free hand grabbed one of the rocks from the ground while other tirelessly cut through the branches.

Thankfully the rock was a sharp one. I used it to cut as well. It wasn't an easy task but I didn't give up.

A few branches came at me too. I successfully dodged most of them. Though one grazed my arm and wounded my skin.

Few minutes later Jose was free and I was gasping for air.

I helped him up, handed him the rock as the weapon and told him to run ahead where as I went to search for Christopher in other direction.

Jose didn't need to slow down because of us.

Soon Lucy caught up with us and I sent Jose with her, requesting them to take Golden Lotuses for us if and when they find them.

In previous level the runway was short and the prize visibly sat at the end. This time there was no table, no flag in vision.

Turning away I ran in Christopher' direction...

... And my heart stopped when I reached there.

I stood stunned for a moment, unable to deal with what I was witnessing.

I. Stopped. Breathing.

It was too much for my heart, my mind, my whole body.

The sight of Christopher tied and helpless in the web of homicidal limbs of the ghastly tree left me horror-struck.

 _No no no no! I couldn't lose him._

Abruptly, my fear turned to rage. My vision blurred into a tunnel.

My focal point was Christopher who silently struggled to get free.

He didn't make a sound, not wanting to attract anyone's attention.

But I saw him. And I wasn't going to let go of him. Ever.

They can't take him away from me. He was all I had in this horrified world. He was my rock in Brooke. My Sun.

Without him I would be forever lost in the darkness of the evil here.

I refused to do that. I refused to let go of him so easily. I refused to let them win their game.

I was stronger than this. I could save Christopher. I _will_ save Christopher.

With my newly found resolution I sprinted forward. I bent in my way to grab a rock.

It wasn't as sharp as the earlier one but beggars weren't choosers.

I stopped right in front of Christopher, just before a long branch attempted to stab him.

My body shielded his and I held it in my fist. It tried to jerk away from my grip, as if it knew it was in danger.

I would've laughed viciously had I not been so drowned in fury.

I brought my other hand and murdered the branch with my blade.

Then I turned and began to slice as many branches as I could with both my hands at work.

Soon I realized I wasn't enough.

There were too many branches to fight off and more were coming.

I cut off through most them. Specially those who tried to spike him anywhere.

I butchered through the long ones who tried to yank him in air. Working relentlessly to keep him on the ground.

My adrenaline gave me the power to work through it, all while I avoided Christopher' pleadings and commands to go away. To run.

He had saved me so many times. It was my turn. I was not going anywhere.

I didn't duck or dodge this time whenever a branch came my way.

I slaughtered them as I protected him with my body.

But then I looked at Christopher.

The branch that was coiled around his neck, suffocating him, made my blood ran cold.

I lost it.

Ever heard of the phrase 'seeing red'?

Well I wasn't seeing red. Not. At. All.

I was seeing _violet_. My vision shadowed by crimson fury and blue haze.

I turned feral. Barbaric. Catastrophic.

With frenzy wrath shining my will, I dived towards the tendril.

But the problem was I couldn't cut it without risking to harm his neck.

It was wrapped around too tightly.

I was in torn in the dilemma to let either risk wounding him severely or letting him suffocate to death.

Someone ran a few meters past us. My gaze went that way to see it was Kyle.

"Kyle, help me here." I yelled, aware of how desperate my voice sounded.

Kyle noticed us and stopped. Taking in the sight of us.

Christopher entwined in branches and me all bloody and trembling, still fighting off the branches.

"Mia, one of the girls, she tried to burn a tree. It- there's a forest fire. You need to get away. It's spreading rapidly."

Fire! Shit. I had arsonphobia.

"I can't leave him Kyle. Help me here."

"Look at him. He won't be able to make it."

"NO! Don't say that. Please help me here. We could-" I killed another tendril that came as I spoke to him, "We could get him free together."

"Mia, you need to go." Christopher said, struggling to be heard against the tight knot at his throat.

"Shut up Christopher. I'm not leaving you here." Then I yelled at Kyle as I attacked another couple of stems.

"Dammit, Kyle come here. Help me."

I moved to look at him. He remained immobile for a moment.

His face carried a guilty expression that I didn't like seeing. I didn't like what it could possibly mean.

"Kyle... please." My voice cracked.

But it didn't shake him.

"I'm sorry Mia. I'm really sorry."

Before I could reply or plead or beg him, he shot forward and ran, disappearing from my sight.

"NO! Kyle, come back." I screamed, but it was already late.

"Mia" Christopher's broken tone captured my attention.

He looked so pale. Eyes bloodshot. Lips turning blue.

My hands frantically went at the tendril threatening to steal him away from me. I clawed at it, pulling it away, scratching it with my nails.

I was losing my calm. Tears fell freely down my face. My arms retiring from the lost battle.

"Mia. . pl-pleease. . . _just go._ Ru-"

I cut him off with my mouth crashing into his as I kissed him with everything in me.

"I'll never let go Christopher." I whispered fiercely. "I'll never let go."

He smiled with defeated. "N-never. . took you. . . to be a. . . a t-titanic f-fan."

I chuckled but it came out more like a sob.

And then everything vanished as a new light emerged from the forest.

This light was no friend of mine. It was a foe. My biggest one.

Flames danced across the trees as it came faster and faster around us.

My throat tightened. Fear clogged at my mind. Breathing seemed impossible.

The tree that held Christopher as a prison, caught fire.

I couldn't move. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't breathe.

I was held captive by my own mind, my phobia as I looked vacantly into his eyes.

I looked in my sky. It led me away from the fiery night.

And suddenly I didn't mind dying like this.

With Christopher as my companion. His grey-blue eyes as my sanctuary.

It was possibly the best way to die.

 **AND DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **~Kaishi Springs~ xoxo**


	16. Anastasia 16

**Hey guys, I'm back from my vacation :D If anyone of you looking forward for some peaceful loneliness and lots of water sport, you should definitely plan to go to Bahamas! I loved it.**

 **Now coming back to the story, Reds77 - You nailed it! Gah! You guessed the plot of this chapter, I don't know whether to be thrilled or sad about that :P**

 **So this one friend of mine named ObsessiveReader83 has told me on PM that she has started to ship Christopher and Ana more than Christi-Ana. As much as I feel so obliterated about it, I don't want to encourage shipping of this couple. Go for Christian and Ana all the way. (That way you girls can keep Christopher all to yourself :P )**

 **Talking about the winners of the contest now,**

 **First place goes to LunaTheBlackWolf for the song "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake**

 **Second place goes to AndTheSaintsAreAllMadeOfGold for the song "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons**

 **Third Place goes to VampiresAddicted for the song "I know Places by Taylor Swift"**

 **Consolation price goes to MeadowSwift13**

* * *

 **A/N : I have this little *CONTEST* for my readers. With each chapter that I would be posting from now on, you guys have to tell me a song that you think would suit the chapter. It can be related to any specific scene or situation, or a character, or a whole chapter or even the whole story. Just drop the Song name with the Artist in the review box and I'll listen to it. You can also PM me. The Best Three Song or the Most Suited Three Songs would win a shocking secret from the plot ahead as well as a blurb from the upcoming chapters.**

* * *

 **WARNING : MATURE, EXPLICIT CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER.**

 **CHAPTER 16**

 **Guilt & Trust**

I WAS AWARE OF the burning sensations.

The smell that came along with it.

The hissing sounds the fire made around me.

But what I wasn't aware of was the agony.

I couldn't feel myself getting burnt. Of being trapped in those flames as the fire swallowed me.

I had waited for it. Braced myself to feel the pain.

But it didn't come.

Wasn't I supposed to feel pain while being burnt? Or had my fear numbed my mind too much for me to feel anything?

If so, then I was grateful to my fear. To my phobia.

I won't feel it when the sparks of hell enraptured me within them.

I'll go away painlessly. Die peacefully.

I smiled. Or at least I tried to. But I couldn't.

Slowly, I became aware of my environment.

"Mia! Mia!"

Someone was calling my name. But it wasn't my name, though it sounded like it should be.

I was floating in the winds. Strong muscular arms supported me from under my knees and my back.

I was being carried.

My eyes were already open, they'd never closed but now my vision was coming back to me.

I was able to see past the black cloak of fear layered with golden lights of fire.

Other senses were coming back as well. Fear left me, dropping me back into reality.

"Mia, look at me baby." I obeyed the shaky voice and looked at its speaker.

Christopher.

He was alive!

But how?

I took a moment to savor his view of healthy and alive, running wildly.

No more branches between us, no more of ghostly pale skin, no more bluing of lips.

He was well, he was alive and so was I.

"Christopher" I gasped out his name like a prayer.

It made him stutter in his steps but he kept running, never losing his speed, even with me in his arms.

"Fuck! You scared me babe."

"What happened? How did you get free?"

"The tree. It caught fire. All branches and stems lost the hold on me. As soon as I was free I looked at you. And you were.." He trailed off with a painful expression on his face.

"You were lying there motionlessly. I was so scared. I thought one of the branches stabbed you somewhere. I check you. You were... trembling and hyperventilating. I didn't know what was wrong with you."

"I'm arsonphobic, Christopher"

He just nodded dejectedly.

"You can drop me now. I can run fine."

"I can't stop. I need to get us a safe distance. Fire's still out there."

I didn't argue with him. There was no way I could escape from a forest-fire by myself.

We ran silently for next several minutes. Every now and then he would look down at me or tighten his arms around me.

After a long while, I finally heard someone calling us. "Mia! Christopher! Here!"

Emily waved at us.

The others also came into the view. Along with a table and a flag stuck on it.

Lucy stood beside Emily, holding out two Golden Lotuses. I realized it was for us.

Christopher speeded his race. The table was still a good distance away from us.

I looked over his shoulder. The fire was catching up faster.

Another running figure came into view, not very distant from us.

Kyle.

"Christopher hurry. These are the last ones." Lucy yelled.

It took a moment for her words to sink in my mind.

 _These are the last ones._

The lotuses in her hand were the last ones. And they were only two.

That meant only two of us would be qualified for next level.

That meant one of us won't survive this level.

One of us would be left out.

Kyle seemed to realize it too because instantly he charged at us with a pair of scissors in his hand.

His weapon. That was pointed at us.

He was going to attack us.

"Christopher!" I shouted his name and pointed at Kyle behind us.

Christopher seemed to understand what was going in Kyle's mind and ran faster, cutting through the predatory trees and plants.

But with my weight he wasn't fast enough. Kyle was quickly gaining on us.

"Mia, the moment I put you down you're going to run and not look behind. Do you understand?"

I nodded but he couldn't see it. His focus was on Kyle. So I mumbled out a 'yes'.

Then he put me down and shoved me hard. "Go, go, go. Run, Mia."

Without any hesitating, I ran.

I was still weak from the effects of my phobia but I ran as best as I could.

A limb of a tree came my way and I effortlessly avoided it.

"Lucy, help her!" Christopher shouted from somewhere behind me.

I expected him to be running at my side, or at least right behind me. But he sounded few steps away from me.

I wanted to check behind me. But I didn't trust myself of what would happen if fire was getting closer to me.

So I kept running. Lucy and Emily stood there with others, encouraging me to reach them.

Few more seconds and I finally slammed into Lucy, grabbing both the lotuses.

I turned, expecting Christopher to be reaching out to me for the lotus.

Instead I found him engaged in a fight with Kyle not far away from us.

"Christopher!" I screamed.

He didn't lose his attention from Kyle as he answered me back. "Stay there Mia."

Of course I tried to run. But someone grabbed my shoulders. I wriggled to get free. I had to help Christopher.

"Stay here Mia." It was Brandon.  
"Kyle can harm you to take the lotus. Christopher will get distracted."

His warning worked.

I stopped moving and stood there.

It was a torture to watch them throwing punches at each other.

Just an hour ago they were joking and laughing together.

Now here they were, fighting with each other to death.

This was what the Brooke did to us. This was what the staff of BMHS had wanted.

Whoever won, would win at the other's expense. And it would destroy him to do so.

But survival was survival.

I didn't really blame Kyle was leaving us behind and now attacking at us. He was acting in pure survival skills. He wanted to live.

Even if it was at the cost of others' life. We all wanted to do that. We were humans, after all. It was in our nature.

The fire was nearing.

 _Christopher needs to come fast._

Both of them came forward a few feet, still fighting.

I wanted to go to Christopher but I also didn't want to distract him.

My heart pounded furiously while I watched them anxiously.

Christopher punched Kyle, who went down, then he ran to me.

I stood almost at the edge of the table with my hand outstretched. Waiting for him to reach the lotus. To reach me.

He got closer, just a few meters left between us when Kyle closed on him and dragged him backwards.

But something happened.

They got near to one of those man-eating trees. Too near.

A branch came out to attack them.

"CHRISTOPHER LOOK OUT!" I screamed at top of my lungs.

He listened to me as he looked at the branch, bending and rolling away at last moment, taking Kyle with him.

Unfortunately, the branch grabbed at Kyle, curling around his left leg.

Christopher reached for his knife to help Kyle when another branch came and coiled at Kyle's right arm.

This branch did not belong to the same tree, it was another tree's limb.

Suddenly he was yanked up in air.

Which meant Christopher couldn't help him now.

"Christopher come on. Come here."

Christopher ran towards me full speed while Kyle called out helplessly. My focus was only on Christopher.

He covered the distance in three long strides as I ran towards him and we collided into each other.

I handed him the lotus while his arms came around me.

He was safe. I was safe. We were safe.

Our reunion was disrupted by Kyle's shattering scream and my gaze fell on him.

The two branches were jerking violently, pulling him in different directions.

More braches wrapped around him, stretching him to opposite sides.

They were fighting, I realized. The trees were fighting.

They were fighting to drag Kyle towards them and Kyle was screaming in pain.

And then, I saw the most disturbing, guttural, petrified  
thing in my life.

The fighting of the carnivorous trees got too much for Kyle's human body.

With a violent jerk from the branches, Kyle's body ripped into two parts.

Literally.

He got torn from in between, both the tree arms taking their share back to the trees and swallowing his body into their trunks.

Blood splattered everywhere on the ground where he was ripped apart.

A hand clamping down on my mouth made me realize that I had been screaming savagely.

Christopher shoved me in opposite direction once again and forced me to run with him.

"The fire's still coming. We got to run."

I ran but I couldn't shook off Kyle's horrific death. I was panic-stricken.

Had it not been for Christopher' arms, I would've fallen onto the ground with grief and horror.

We were all running again. Danger was still coming at us. Fire could engulf us at any moment.

It was Garrett who turned back and shouted out. "Look."

We all looked behind to see the fire coming near the edge of table but staying there only.

It was like an invisible screen that prevented it from getting any further. I also noticed the moving trees only spread till the table only.

There were still a few trees around us but they weren't moving or attacking us.

Yet I preferred to keep my distance from now on.

A familiar sound of bell rang and I realized it had marked the completion of Level Two.

I had been fainted during the first level's ending bell.

The sound was different, like an alarm clock's.

More cheerful than the starting bell at least.

ALL OF US WALKED for half an hour or so before giving into tiresome, pain and grief.

This level, we'd lost five of us.

 _An improvement from last time. It was six in Level One._

I thought bitterly.

We had lost the boy who everyone watched got eaten by a tree.

Wendy who Christopher had tried to rescue and almost got himself killed.

The senior girl who had been with Jose then left us.

Another girl who had initially started the fire and got herself burnt in it.

And Kyle at last. Needless to recount his death. The horrendous image was burned into my mind.

We grieved for the loss as we sat down and rested.

Minutes later, the night got colder. Some of the boys went to collect some woods for starting a fire.

I stayed away from it as far as possible, but within the warm distance to soak some heat.

Soon everyone either ate, slept on tended to each other's wounds.

Miraculously, Christopher had survived of any serious injuries, with the exception of some minor scratches on his hands, arms and marks on his neck.

I, on the other hand was matted in blood, wounded, scratched at several places and emotionally shaken up.

Also the area where the branch had grazed my arm was in need of stitches.

Christopher took out his first-aid kit and tended to all my wounds carefully.

He held my hand when the pain stung sharper while cleaning the injuries.

Muttered soothing words while plucking out twigs of the branches from the wounds.

Caressed and kissed me while stitching my arm.

"I should be thankful to you for staying back, but I'm angry at you instead." He spoke as he bandaged my left hand.

"Be neither." I replied.

"You could've died, Mia. You need to keep yourself as your first priority."

"You saved me so many times. I wanted to save you this time."

"I didn't expect a barter system here, Mia." He hissed angrily. "And I had never put myself in extreme dangers to help you."

"But you will." It wasn't a question.

He looked into my eyes and spoke with conviction. "For you, yes I will."

"Then expect the same from me."

There was nothing left to discuss after that. We shared an apple and some wafers.

Many had either fallen asleep or pretended to sleep while they cried silently.

I didn't blame them. Showing a weakness could get them targeted by others.

I myself needed a moment or two away to grieve.

Christopher was grieving too this time. It was his guilt that caught up to him. Guilt that he couldn't save Wendy and Kyle.

We talked about it in hushed tones.

"Feeling bad for Kyle is pointless Christopher. It was either him or us. It wasn't your fault that lotuses were numbered. And you did try to save Wendy."

"But I failed."

"We can't exactly everyone here, Christopher. But we can try and die trying. That's what you did. You almost died trying."

I reached out and squeezed his hand, absent-mindedly glancing at it.

I noticed the difference instantly. "Where's your scar?"

"What scar?"

"The one I asked you about in the Glean Center. When you suddenly became an asshole afterwards."

I expected him to chuckle or say back something sassy but he did neither. When I looked up at him his face was suddenly closed out.

"Christopher?"

"It healed."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "I saw it just three days ago. It was a pretty deep scar."

"Yeah, I'm a fast healer. Listen, I'm tired so I'm dozing off. Good night." He turned his back to me and slept.

And the asshole was back.

Guess that scar was really fucked-up for him. He closed off last time too when I had asked him.

Figuring that he might need some space, I went a little away our camp.

I was standing at the bank of a frozen river when I realized I wasn't alone.

Jose stood steps away, staring intensely at the river.

"Why?"

That was the second time he had spoken to me. First being during the first level.

"Why what?" I asked.

"Why did you help me? Twice. After what I did to you?"

His question brought back the painful memories.

I willed myself to be stronger and answer his question.

"Because I know it wasn't you. Not the real you at least"

"How could you be sure?"

"The look on your face then and the look on your face now is my evidence."

"But what I did-"

"I don't need to be reminded of it Jose. All you need to know is that I haven't forgotten but I have forgiven you. Like I said, I know it wasn't you."

"It was my final test. To see if I was completely broken so they could use me." His shaky voice willed me to look at him.

Large tears rolled down his face as he spoke.

"I know what is it like being violated. I was subjected to it too when I had first arrived here."

I gasped at this new information revealed.

Was everyone here a victim of rape? All the other contestants? Lucy, Emily, Brandon?

Oh God, was Christopher too?

Somehow I couldn't see Christopher being harmed in that way. He was too smart.

No I had to believe he had survived, just like he had helped me.

"Why are you here Jose? Why they picked you for the race?"

He spoke after a pregnant pause. "Because I broke free from my conditioning."

My breath caught in my throat. Was that possible? Could there be a way free from this?

Jose was a senior, which meant he had lived the worse of BMHS.

If he could be strong enough to break through it then certainly others could be too.

"How?" I asked.

"It was you Mia."

"Me?"

"What I did to you. Seeing you so strong and fighting, for the first time in a long while... I felt the guilt. That was my undoing."

He looked at me directly. "If you hadn't fought that way you did, if you hadn't been rescued by whoever came to help you that day, I wouldn't be here."

He smiled. It was a broken smile, didn't reach his eyes.

But his attempt was my undoing.

Tears ran down from my face too.

He hesitantly stepped towards me and with shaky hands grabbed both of mine.

"I don't deserve being saved. But you did it anyway. Twice. You did what no one else would do. You saved the person who almost raped you. Thank you for everything. Coming here, living again even if it's for a short while... it's been great."

"You need to let go of this guilt Jose. Life's more beautiful without it."

"Guilt is what broke me free Mia. I'll never let it go." With that he left.

Allowing me to cry silently at his words.

Not minutes later, warm hands came around me.

Christopher.

I turned and dived into his hold, pressing my head against his chest.

"What's wrong?"

That was all it took to break the dam of my emotions.

Jose's speech had left me too raw. Tonight's events overweighed his words.

It became too much.

I brought my head up and smashed my lips to his.

He responded immediately as he crushed me in his arms and kissed me back ferociously.

His tongue dived into my mouth and twisted with mine. My legs buckled as desire pooled deep in me.

Christopher was almost supporting me now, but none of us stopped. We needed this.

We tasted my salty tears which only intensified the kiss.

His tongue thrust harder into my mouth and every other thought flew away from my mind.

I became a sensation of desire and needs. Desperate to relinquish my thirst.

"Why did you save me from Jose and his friends?"

He knew what I was talking about. He didn't pretend otherwise.

Looking straight into my eyes with raw lust in them he said, "Because you're mine. And I always protect what's mine."

His response made my body fall out of control.

I pounced on him.

Violently jerking his mouth back to mine while his hands moved down to my thighs, lifting me up.

I lost everything in me yet at the same time, gained everything in him.

My legs wrapped around his waist as he leaned against a tree, hiding us from the view of the camp.

We devoured each other with our mouths. We fought and renewed our spirits, giving into each other with every breath.

My fists tangled into his hair, his hands roamed everywhere, exploring me body.

I pressed myself harder against his body. Greedy to get more of him.

That was when I felt the hard organ against my hips. In a bold move, I thrust my hips against his, rubbing onto his hardness.

Christopher growled against the wonderful friction. I did it again.

"Fuck! Mia." Christopher rasped out.

All of sudden I was feeling too hot.

We were in snowy mountains of Alaska wearing nothing but a few layers of clothing.

Instead of freezing, I was burning up.

A stinging need attacked me, leaving me with no choice but to kill this fire emerging deep within me.

Without my knowing, my hands clutched my jacket, ripping it off my body.

"Mia.." Christopher seemed to be at loss of words. All he was able to say was my name but his eyes spoke too clearly.

The grey was eclipsing the blue, clearly indicating the battle between lust and control and which one was winning.

I decided to help the winner win more easily.

Leaning forward, I grazed my teeth against his jaw and sucked at his neck.

The result was in my favor.

His legs gave out.

We tumbled on the ground and there he was lying on top of me. Covering his body with mine. Warming the places where I ached with hunger.

"I need you Christopher."

He closed his eyes. He seemed to be in pain as he attempted one last time to keep his control.

I brought my hips up and wriggled against his.

He cursed.

"I almost lost you today Christopher. I almost lost you."

He opened his eyes and cupped my face gently before kissing me again.

I could tell he meant it to be a soft one. But as soon as our lips met, it was impossible for our tongues to not do so.

They dived at each other like the lost lovers, connecting together and refusing to be apart.

I was running out of breath when Christopher broke away. I mewled in protest.

"I'm right here Mia. I'm with you. Not going anywhere."

My hands fumbled with buttons on his shirt. Sometime during our devouring each other, he had lost his jacket.

"Then prove it to me." I whispered, unable to speak in my normal voice anymore.

"You saved me from being violated Christopher, save me again. Remove their touch. _Please._ "

Any control that he was trying to gain left his body, leaving it free for me to use.

With a loud growl he massacred my mouth once with his own before wildly removing his shirt.

He turned fiendish. Wild. Untamed.

And he looked damn sexy like that.

There was nothing calm about him now. He was a primitive being, needing to satisfy his hunger that relied on me.

I was his food.

And this time I didn't mind being so.

He was the only one allowed to prey on me. He was the only predator I would gave myself willingly too.

"You'll freeze." He spoke while struggling down his pants.

"Then warm me."

Who was this creature speaking like that? No way in hell was that me.

I had never been so needy for a guy. But then, it wasn't just any guy. It was Christopher.

He made his move when only three pieces of clothing were left between us. Me in my bra and panties, him in his boxers.

This time when he landed on top of me, with bare skin against skin, a wretched sound left my throat.

It wasn't a moan or a whimper. I was way past that.

I howled.

He silenced my with yet another wild kiss. "You're so hot when you howl baby. But we need to keep it low."

I nodded desperately. I could've done anything, given anything to obey him.

I was his slave, needing my master to reward me with him inside me.

He dived at my neck, licking an sucking at the tender spots, leaving me wanton, starving for more.

"If we were alone, I would've made you scream so loud until your throat had turned sore. Along with your other body parts."

His words ignited the volcano that had been threatening to blast up.

My breasts felt sensitive, the unfamiliar throbbing in my core left me gasping for air.

His hands slowly, agonizingly slowly reached for my bra and freed my breasts.

It felt a sweet relief, like I was finally able to breathe better.

Christopher sat up, my body begging for his heat, and looked at me.

The look in his eyes as he took me in was animalistic. It made my heart speed fast and the throbbing down there faster.

"You look ravishing Mia. I'm going to ravish you."

With that he went straight at my breasts and took a nipple right in between his teeth, biting down gently.

I cried out. More in surprise than in pain. His tongue immediately soothed the bite.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes again. It was sensory overloaded.

He continued his torture to both my breasts, licking and nibbling. Then he took one of my nipples and sucked at it. Hard.

"Ahhhh!" I shrieked.

I couldn't control myself anymore. It was becoming to unbearable.

"Christopher." I cried out his name like a prayer. Hoping for him to hear me and grant me peace.

"Patience, babe."

"Christopher please." Tears fell down from my eyes as his fingers traveled inside my panties.

I was aching for him.

He leaned down as kissed my tears.

"I need to savor this Mia. I need to savor you."

His fingers found my throbbing clit and rubbed it in vicious circles.

"Christopher!"

"Shh... it's okay. I've got you. It's okay."

But it wasn't. My desire was suffocating me. My vision was turning blurry with tears and need.

"I need you inside me. Now!"

He obeyed. But only with his fingers as two of them suddenly plunged inside me.

I almost flew upwards from the sudden intrusion but Christopher kept me grounded with his other arm.

His fingers left me only to thrust into me deeply once again.

I wanted to scream but all of sudden his mouth was there, cutting off my voice effectively.

With his free hand he ripped off my panties while the other one continued its torture inside me.

"Fuck baby, you're so tight. I'm going to love it."

God his words! I wasn't going to last long.

I could already feel something building deep inside me, anytime it could come up now and I'll explode.

Christopher felt it too. His fingers paced faster, harder, deeper.

"Yes." He hissed. "Come babe, come for me. Only then I'll put myself inside you."

His fingers stroked my inner walls, finding an extremely sensitive spot.

All the hell broke loose. The bomb inside me blasted.

I came.

For the first time. My first orgasm.

Powerful waves rode through me, all the while Christopher kissed me. Taking in my breaths along with my screams.

Once the trembling in my body stopped. He moved his head up to look at me.

The spent yet famished expression on my face gave way to his cocky smile.

But then he turned serious.

"Mia, are you-"

"Don't you dare ask me if I'm sure about this Christopher. I've never been so sure about anything in my life. You've tortured me enough so now put your dick inside me before I kill you."

Wait. Was that me who spoke like that? Those words?

God, I was immediately mortified.

I blamed it on the Brooke.

Christopher merely chuckled. "I was asking are you, you know, on something?"

Oh.

Of course we didn't have any condoms here. Who would come with thought of sex to survive a deadly battle?

Suddenly I was grateful to Mia.

She always tried to hook me up with someone or the other.

Her dream was for me to get laid before I turned seventeen. Which was why she insisted to put me on a pill.

Well she was finally having her dream come true.

I had the habit of keeping it my first aid kit which I had luckily brought here.

So I nodded at Christopher. "I'm on a pill."

"Well I'm clean. I got checked before coming to the Brooke."

He didn't ask me if I was. He knew I was a virgin.

It scared me for a moment as the memories of forced penetration came in my mind.

Christopher must have seen it on my face.

"Mia, we could-"

"No!" I cut him off for the second time. "Please Christopher I need it. I trust you. It can only be you, please give this to me. Make me forget that horrible memory."

He sighed then kissed my forehead. "Alright babe, if that's what you want."

In next movement, he removed his boxers and his cock sprang free.

My mouth dried instantly. He was so thick and long and beautiful.

I wanted him in me, now. This very instant.

Christopher too had the urgency as he settled back above me.

"You feel nervous or uncomfortable, just let me know and I'll stop immediately. Got it?"

"Yes."

He looked me in the eyes as he traced my entrance with his tip.

I gasped at the heat of it and spread my legs wider.

He brought my thighs up and wrapped them around his tight muscled ass.

He took my lips with his, kissing me gently this time. Then he entered me.

The mixture of pain and pleasure was the only way to describe how I felt.

It was like I was flying in ecstasy.

He entered me slowly. My eyes went up as I helplessly tried to keep them open.

My gaze met with the stars above us, the dark sky sparkling with diamonds, shining like I was at the moment.

He stopped after he sank completely inside me. Allowing me to adjust to his width.

Finally when the pain faded, leaving me with only pleasure. I bucked my hips against his.

He took the hint and began to move. Slowly at first, then wildly after a few seconds.

I met his each assault with my own. With every thrust, I owned him and became him.

With each caress I traveled further into the state of euphoria, but never leaving his side.

I exploded first and then he followed.

He grunted my name as he shot himself into me.

I had never felt so full, so complete in my life.

For the first time since I had come to the Brooke, I felt immensely at peace.

* * *

 **Woah! My, my... Who needs a cold shower after reading this chapter? I certainly do. Christopher can really give Christian a good run for his money. What do you guys think?**

 **Just drop your question on PM or review box of any of my stories and I'll answer it.**

 **Now wait for the Third Level of "The Pinnacle Games"**

 **DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THE CONTESTANT OF THE PINNACLE GAMES!**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	17. Anastasia 17

**Hi guys I'm so sorry for just disappearing on you all but school is going craaazzyyy. Since it's my senior year, my schedule and the work load is very hectic which leaves me with no time to write. Which is why all my other stories, except THE BROOKE are put to hold for a month :(**

 **I'm very sad to announce this to all of you and I'll try updating other stories as much as I can.**

 **Summers are coming near so you won't be hung for much longer.**

 **Also I'll have to put hold to the Song Suggesting Contest I introduced in THE BROOKE since I write at very unpredictable times and can't send the excerpts to the contest winners.**

 **As an apology I'm posting Two Chapters today and tomorrow.**

 **A/N : NEW TIMELINE FOR THE BROOKE : I'll be updating this story as soon as I get more than 11 reviews for each chapter. You guys can continue to suggest me the songs for the story/chapters but unfortunately I won't be able to send you a plot secret for it.**

 **Thank You all those who've participated in the CONTEST so far. Your songs have really inspired me as well as the plot of The Brooke.**

 **Enjoy Reading XD**

 **CHAPTER 17**

 **A Warning**

A LOUD PIERCING SCREAM alerted us, causing everyone to run in that direction.

It was Angela who had screamed.

We found her standing behind the trees, a little further than where our temporary camp had been set up.

She appeared to be shock, shaking violently as she pointed a trembling finger in front of her.

Naturally, my eyes followed her finger's way.

And there he was.

Another lost hope, another death, another loss of life.

I recognized him as the Stupid Boy.

His death was different and had a deeper impact on all of us because he didn't die while surviving.

He died while running away.

It had been two days since Level Two had ended.

The morning following that unforgettable night was spent in discussions and arguments of whether to start moving or not.

Apparently none of us had enough courage to face another level yet.

Not even me.

That was when Stupid Boy had exploded. All the horrors and sufferings finally caught to him and he broke.

He snapped.

"I don't know what you guys are thinking, but I'm not crazy enough to play one more of their disgusting levels. We'll all end up dead by the final one." He had said.

"Then what do you suggest we do, huh?" Someone had asked him.

"We do nothing. We don't participate anymore. We screw this contestants bullshit and hunt for an escape instead of a bloody checkpoint."

"That's what we have been doing. But we haven't found any escape yet. Only check points. We don't have any option but to participate in the race."

"That's because we have been all going forward. There is no escape ahead, just more destructive levels. What if we went back?"

"You mean back in those woods? Then you somehow planning to climb over the mountains, survive the bears and find your way back to BMHS?" I had intercepted.

He looked at me as if I was the stupid one here.

"I am not crazy to go back to BMHS. But there has to be a way out of the Brooke somewhere here."

"And how do you plan to find in that out?" That had been Christopher.

"I don't know. I just know I can't survive another level."

Lucy joined in too. "Well, neither can we. But we have no choice here. So we are toughening it. It's better if you also stop whining like a kid and suck it up."

"I'm not going ahead and that's final. I will search for an exit even if I do that alone. Best of luck."

He hadn't waited for anyone to speak anymore and ran away.

Going back instead of ahead, just like he'd said.

We hadn't paid much attention to him.

Thinking that he just needed some time to cool down and that he would return in a few hours, we had continued our discussion of staying of moving.

Two hours later with still no return of Stupid Boy, we had all come to a conclusion.

We decided to give ourselves one more day before resuming our hiking.

Obviously realizing that we couldn't stay here forever.

Eventually dying either from cold or starvation when food ran out.

Also, that way we could wait for Stupid Boy to come back who, apparently had run away with his stuff.

I had doubted he would come back.

That day, from noon to late eve, we had all sat around in a group sharing the stories of the lost ones.

Whoever knew anything they knew about the dead contestants would share it with us as a tribute to them.

I had spoken about Gracie and how we became friends in Glean Center.

Lucy and Angela had also shared their experiences of Kyle and Wendy respectively.

The atmosphere was still heavy with sadness but the tributary speeches kept everyone on a lighter edge.

We were down to fourteen now. Thirteen if Stupid Boy wasn't coming back.

One thing that I had to agree with him was that by the rate we were going, nobody would survive the final level.

I kept the scary thoughts at the bay, having enough to deal with.

I decided I would simply go with the flow and fight to survive when I needed to.

It wasn't like I could do much of a rebellion in the middle of nowhere.

That was Stupid Boy, not me.

My goal at the moment was just to survive at all costs. So that when- _not if_ \- I got free, I could help others.

After all I had made a promise to Beth. I had every intention of keeping it.

Everyone rested and made secret strategies to survive.

After Kyle's attempt to harm me and Christopher to take the Golden Lotus, there was no doubt some of others were thinking the same.

I couldn't blame them. It was the easiest and safest way out to survive.

But I also knew others were saving it for the last. So that they don't get to face the upcoming levels alone.

Their chance of survival will definitely lessen up that way.

Or that was how I assumed they were thinking. I had no idea what was going through other contestants' minds.

Whether they were planning to form some alliance, kill others or follow Stupid Boy's lead and run away.

I, on the other hand, was strangely enjoying our time while resting.

Majority of that reason was Christopher.

We just couldn't seem to keep our hands off each other.

At every opportunity either of us got, I was in his arms and we were kissing or touching or poking at each other.

Sometimes just simply leaning on each other and resting.

Our small group, or what was remaining of it, had almost been disgusted with us.

Lucy had suggested us to get a room with mock irritation when Emily had reminded her of our situation and how no one could get a room.

Soon, the contestants had also begun to disperse temporarily behind the trees or other places to take care of physiological needs.

We always made sure to go in groups.

By the night we slept around the bonfire.

Christopher kept me at the farthest possible end of the fire while snuggling his body into mine to keep me warm.

Stupid Boy still hadn't returned and we all were beginning to think he never might.

But we were wrong.

That was the only thing I could think of as we all gathered around now to see him returned.

Just not alive.

He was lying motionlessly on the cold snowy land.

Pale skin, purple lips and open unblinking eyes were all the evidence needed to prove that he was truly dead.

One more contestant had deceased. No one knew how, when or what had happened to him.

But if there ever had been a silent message, this couldn't get any louder and clearer.

It was a warning to us stating not to leave the Pinnacle Race.

We couldn't turn our backs or we would end up dead for sure.

At least as we played, we still had more chances of surviving.

So we all quietly went back to the camp and began to pack everything.

There was no discussion needed because from the looks of others, they all wanted to get this over with.

The sooner, the better.

I searched for Christopher, seeing his bag lying next to mine but he was nowhere to be found.

I wore the straps of my bag then picked his as I went looking for him.

When I finally found him it was near Stupid Boy's dead body.

He was gazing at him with so much concentration, like he was willing the dead body to answer him what had exactly happened.

"Christopher?" I walked towards him.

He reached for me without looking away from the corpse and took my hand in his without hesitation. His fingers entwining with mine.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

He lifted his index finger and pointed at Stupid Boy's neck.

"See those wounds. Looks like someone stabbed him with a stick or something."

I saw the two huge brutal punctured holes at the side of his neck.

"It means someone has killed him. Purposely."

"You think it's one of the contestants?"

I kept my voice low so that no one could hear us. Though they were far enough.

He shrugged.

"It could be someone coming from BMHS to do that since he was leaving the race but I highly doubt it. He would've died anyway due to starvation and cold. They wouldn't come here specifically just to kill him."

"But they can do that to prove us a point. To give us a message shouldn't leave the race." I thought out loud.

He shrugged again. "At this point, anything could happen and I won't be surprised."

 _Touché_.

He went to the corpse and took its bag.

Its. No longer his.

"Let's see if he had any weapons. We can also store some food and other useful items."

To our surprise he had a sharp pizza-cutter as his weapon. Guess Stupid Boy wasn't really stupid.

We also found some dry fruits and a sponge cake that I assumed to be good for another day or so.

Christopher and I both filled our bag with the raided items and shared the sponge cake among us.

He remained unusually quiet. His eye looked troubled and uncertain.

"You really think it's one of us, don't you?"

"Not you. But after Kyle, it's not hard to think someone won't do it."

I couldn't disagree on that with him. I had the same doubt.

I brought my hand up to his face "Don't worry. We'll protect each other."

He bent towards me and gave me a slow, sweet kiss. "Yes we will."

IT TOOK US ONE long day to find another checkpoint.

Or an exit if we were lucky enough. But we weren't.

By the late evening, everyone was tired enough to settle down for the night.

We set up yet another bonfire and lied near it on our sleeping bags.

When I had started to get uncomfortable from the fire, Christopher sneaked me into the trees and helped me calm down with his own special way.

Did I mention he was an abso-freaking-lutely sexy kisser?

Soon our clothes were on the ground as we warmed each other in most primitive ways.

He situated me against a tree as he plunged into my repeatedly.

I cried his name loudly time over time, neither of us giving a care if others heard us.

We got back after wearing our clothes again to see everyone asleep. With exception of Lucy, Emily and Jose.

Both the girls gave me a knowing look while I just simply blushed under their curious looks.

Lucy mouthed _lucky bitch_ at me.

I just blushed more furiously.

To distract myself I glanced at Jose who was no longer sitting away from rest of us.

He saw me looking at him and nodded at me in a friendly manner.

I was happy at how his conditioning was becoming more undone day by day.

It gave me hope for others at BMHS.

I slept away from fire again, tucked safely into Christopher.

THE AGONIZING BELL RANG, indicating the start of Level Three.

There was just a vast land ahead of us at the place we had reached.

No man-eating trees, no cliffs to jump from and no running over the dead bodies.

The others must be pretty happy or relieved about it as they began to run forward. Going nowhere, just blindly running.

I on the other hand remain stuck beside the board that marked beginning of third level.

Christopher noticed it. So did Lucy, Emily and others in our group.

We were down to eight now. Losing Kyle and Wendy.

Angela and Garrett had already taken off running. Leaving me, Christopher, Lucy, Emily, Brandon and Jose behind.

They all looked at me in confusion but remained stuck with me at the starting point of the level.

"Something's not right. I can feel it."

"Mia," Christopher started as he took my hand in his, squeezing it gently. "I won't let anything happen to you. You know that, right."

"It's not fear talking Christopher, it's instinctual talking. I know something's not right."

"Of course it isn't. We aren't going on a picnic here. God knows what we are fighting against." Lucy said.

God! How should I explain them what I was feeling? I knew Lucy was right but that wasn't exactly what I was feeling creepy about.

I knew there were going to be obstacles in third level.

Possibly worse than the ones in first and second level.

But that wasn't what I was feeling weird about it.

My instincts were screaming at me to not take a step forward. Like something really bad was just about to happen.

As if on the cue, a thunder roared and heavy rain began to pour down.

Strangely the rain fell only on the vast land in front of us. The third level's arena.

I stayed exactly next to the checkpoint board which was probably why none of us felt the rain on us.

Due to this strange factor I knew something was terribly wrong.  
I was proven right.

People in the arena started screaming, trying to cover themselves.

Some fell to the ground in pain.

We all witnessed as the running contestants suddenly went in chaos.

Lucy stepped forward slightly until she was at the edge of the arena.

She held her hand out under the rain.

Few drops landed on her but nothing happened.

Then a minute later, she yelped and snatched her hand back. Like she had been electrocuted.

I looked at her hand and noticed the drops forming red bloody spots on her skin.

"The rain is poisonous. It's some sort of acid rain. Few drops didn't harm me but I don't know what will happen if we stayed under it."

Christopher looked at me and nodded once, letting me know silently that he appreciated my decision to stay behind.

"I've got an umbrella." Emily and Brandon spoke simultaneously then looked at each other in surprise.

"Why would you guys have an umbrella?" I asked suspiciously .

"I'm allergic to rain and with the climate changing these days, you never know where it can rain." Brandon said.

"I got no reason. Just that I hate rain. And I didn't know if Alaska gets any rainfall or not." Emily said.

Then to my surprise, Jose spoke up. "Garrett has an umbrella too. That was one of his weapons."

Brandon and Emily opened their umbrellas and we all went to take cover under it.

Emily's umbrella was only big enough to be shared by two so Lucy teamed with her.

Luckily Brandon had a huge umbrella though four people were still too much for it.

Christopher hoisted me up on his back, made sure I was protected by the umbrella's canopy, and we all started walking.

It wasn't easy to walk swiftly when we all had to stick together literally under a small canopy but somehow we managed.

We reached Garrett who was crouched on the ground under a tree, barely covering himself from his bag.

He was shaking with pain which explained why he didn't reach into his bag to take out his umbrella.

We covered him with ours and then Jose took it out from his bag.

This one too, as soon as it opened, was big enough for two only.

Christopher took it from Jose and I jumped down from his back, now that I had my own shelter.

"The cave." Christopher pointed ahead on his right.

My eyes darted in that direction and saw a stony cave half a mile ahead.

I nodded. "We've got to help others."

He looked like he wanted to argue but smartly decided to stay quiet.

Jose and Brandon helped Garrett up who was mumbling in pain.

Afterwards all three set of umbrellas went for the cave.

Garret slowed Brandon and Jose while Christopher and I, and Lucy and Emily ran as quickly as we could.

As soon as we reached the caves, Lucy and Emily darted inside to the safety then Lucy gave me their umbrella.

Brandon reached with other two boys and Jose helped Garrett inside as well.

Then the three of us, Brandon, Christopher and I ran back to help others.

I helped the two girls in turns while Christopher and Brandon helped the three boys.

They were not much far from the cave. I assumed they must have seen it too and started to go for it.

One of the boys was badly injured. While his torso was saved by the protection of his bag, his legs were not as lucky.

As I reached the cave with last girl, I counted the number just to be sure.

Ten Contestants. One was missing.

Angela.

I took off again and searched for her. Christopher followed me as well.

Others nursed the injured ones.

We looked for Angela for a long time. I called out her name several times in hope that she would respond. She didn't.

"Mia! Get over here." Christopher called me from somewhere far behind.

I went to him and saw he was standing over an unconscious Angela who was covered with blood everywhere.

Christopher handed me his umbrella that I quickly took and kept my hand outstretched to shield them both.

He carried her to the cave while I kept their umbrella shielded over them.

By the time we reached Angela had started choking on blood.

We tried to calm her down but I could see her body was failing.

And in next few seconds...

...She died.

Her body went still, her breathing stopped.

I had to witness yet another death.

But before we could mourn for her, a strange voice echoed through the walls of the cave.

I looked at our shelter for the first time.

It was covered with rocks and stones and diet like the usual caves and was spacious enough.

In fact, I could see it was a pretty deep cave.

It was stretched more inwards turned to a certain point, prohibiting to see further.

One has to go in there to satisfy their curiosity.

It was also the direction from where the strange voice was coming from.

Suddenly the voice multiplied, accompanied by hundreds of soft mewls. The sound was getting louder by each second.

That meant whatever it was, was coming nearer to us.

Then we saw it. Or rather saw _them._

Hundreds of white rats running in groups at us while the walls were covered with scary looking six legged creatures that I'd never seen before.

Spiders.

My semantic memory provided me the word. Spiders.

"They're lethal." Someone spoke up. "I can't recall their species but I know they are lethal."

 _Great! Just motherfucking great!_

It was the first time I had used that word.

I hardly ever cursed out loud, unless in front of Mia, but then too nothing this harsh.

I never even thought of such words.

 _Well at least Brooke had succeeded in corrupting your tongue, Anastasia._

Jeez.

I had to focus here. With a bigger problem at our hands.

Not one big problem but hundreds of small problems that were coming at us.

"What do we do now?"

Outside - poisonous rain.  
Inside - lethal spiders and rats.

Did Brooke really want anyone to be left for the final level?

I was beginning to doubt it. Highly.

Christopher gave me an evil smirked. He took out his butcher knife and handed me the Stupid Boy's pizza cutter.

The others in our squad did the same.

"Now we slaughter them." Christopher replied.

And so the war began.

 **PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW GUYS IF WANT THE NEXT UPDATE IN NEXT 24 HOURS!**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs**


	18. Anastasia 18

**Come on guys! I'm not getting much reviews anymore :( Is my story lacking interest now? Has my plot gone boring? Let me know what you think.**

 **And enjoy Reading :D**

 **CHAPTER 18**

 **Miraculous Disaster**

THE TINY YET LETHAL creatures crawled towards us in hundreds of dozens.

But we were prepared.

This time we all were angry enough to stand against the Race as one.

To fight back.

That didn't mean we weren't scared.

At least I was.

Was it due to the whole Pinnacle Race or just because of these disgusting reptiles, I couldn't say.

But I was scared.

However for now, I had to swallow my fear and let my anger take up.

So that's what I did.

Christopher raised his knife and ran forward.

We followed his lead.

Those who were not injured enough from the acidic rain also joined us.

We were all ready to be ruthless. To let our ferocious sides out. To be the primitive humans Brooke forced us to be.

And coincidentally, we were in a cave too.

Hah!

Christopher stopped a feet away from our new enemies.

The rats that looked so cute, I didn't have the heart to butcher them, were closing the gap fast.

"Do we really have to kill those rats?"

"Yes. Else they'll eat us out."

Ugh! Why do the most dangerous creatures have to look most appealing?

Nature was sickly twisted in its own way.

Take Christopher for example.

Anyone who doubted if he was dangerous enough or not was an idiot.

Yet he was so beautiful. From both inside and out.

"There are too many Christopher, we need to divide." Brandon said.

Christopher nodded in assertion. "You're right. How many of us are willing to fight?"

I turned around and counted. "Nine. Three are still recovering from the rain."

"Mia and Brandon take three more with you and take on the walls. You'll be dealing with the spiders. Garrett you and two more will stay here with me to fight the rats."

I picked out Emily and two others, leaving Lucy and Jose with Garrett and Christopher.

Just before going I added one more thing. "Guys, please don't let any of these go near the injured contestants."

Thankfully, they all nodded in agreement.

I turned and followed Brandon who was dictating our positions at the walls.

"Mia?" Christopher called.

I glanced in his way. He was still facing ahead. His concentration zeroed on the rats.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Be careful."

Would I be considered crazy that I was suddenly grinning from ear to ear at such a crucial moment?

Luckily no one paid much attention to my little insane moment.

They were all focused on fighting back.

It was such a prideful and overwhelming feeling to watch them all growing stronger.

How each of them let the anger out for what Brooke had done to them.

In that moment, no one was weak or scared or crying. They were all ready to stand for themselves, for others too.

Brandon signaled us to tackle the spiders in next two minutes.

I wanted to look at Christopher. From the voices I could already tell that he and his group were already on move.

But I did not look behind for two reasons.

One, I had to keep my focus on the wall in front of me, where the spiders were about to arrive.

Two, I don't think I could witness the massacre of those rats.

My senses were once more opened to their fullest awareness.

I could pin point each voice from the chaos and how much effort was applied in their attack from it.

I could feel the insects coming nearer, hardly a hand span away from my given spot.

Brandon was taking deep breaths, as he finally drew his weapon up to slice through the venomous spiders.

I followed his lead along with others in my group and did the same.

Everything else faded into a blur.

It was just me with pizza cutter in one hand and my switch blade in the other.

Pretending it to be some kind of video game, I began killing the six legged creature.

 _Zing-Zang Zing-Zang Zing-Zang..._

I blocked out all the other voices. Everyone else too.

My attention was fully given to the stony cave wall in front of me with only one aim : not to let any spider escape my blades.

I turned brutal, savage and vicious.

Up, down, left, right. I didn't care. I didn't see.

I cut everything black and brown I saw creeping on the wall. Not pausing to see how I murdered in cold blood or the effects of it.

If anyone came anywhere near me at this point, that person would be sorry with his or her life.

Something I didn't I had in me had possessed me. I made me something which I never thought I could be.

It was called Survival Instincts.

As I slaughtered through the insects, my mind drifted towards the deep thoughts.

Of what a person I used to be before the Brooke.

Shy, sweet, helpful, mannered, depressed and always hiding under Mia's shelter.

But I didn't look at myself that way anymore.

I was brave, fearless, bold, reckless, defiant and I stood up not only for myself but others too.

If I had to give some credit to Brooke, it would be on how it turned me into this new version of myself.

I no longer needed anyone else.

I was ready to fight for myself. I was ready to defend myself.

My confidence grew with each thought, each cut.

The smile on my lips would've been assumed an evil one for the way I was murdering the insects.

In truth, it was for the self-confident thoughts that ran through my hand.

It didn't last very long though.

My exceptional senses alerted me before anyone else could even venture a guess about what was the sudden slithering sound.

Our new enemies came into the view, entering from the same way as the previous two forms of creatures had come.

Their sleek body, glistening with black shiny scales, was enough to make all our hearts stop at one.

Their long length and flickering red tongue made it impossible for our hearts to start back.

I wasn't sure what they were. Cobras maybe? I didn't know much about the snakes.

Though whatever they were, they were without a doubt meant to kill us.

I don't know how I knew that. I just did.

Maybe it was their scary appearance, or the way they smoothly slithered through the rough surface of the caves or maybe simply because they were so many to be counted.

Nonetheless they were going to be the end of us one way or another.

The contestants were back to their submissive defeated scary position.

I could already see some of them losing their grip on the areas they were given to control, their attention being drawn towards our most new intruders.

A scream erupted from a girl's throat in the horrors of the snakes coming at us.

And then it happened.

Something that I should've known. Should've anticipated as soon as the screaming had started.

We all had seen it in either movies of scientific channels. We all knew it somewhere deep within our common sense.

But when it occurred live, everyone of us was dumbstruck.

Even me.

Only for a moment though.

My ulterior senses had to be given some credit as well.

Because they caught on it as soon as the voice cut through the caves.

I saw the expected thundering and shaking of rocks.

The little mud in between them falling down, giving away the friction that held the stony rocks close and uptight.

Before the roof of the cave could give away and harm anyone, I was already shouting.

"Back off everyone. Roof is gonna come down. Back off!"

With that I turned around in search of a clearing.

Meanwhile a heavy stone fell down.

Luckily, no human was harmed.

The stone was able to successfully trap some of the rats and snakes, which turned the falling of it in our favor.

An idea came into my mind.

If I could find a safe place for us and let these rocks fall down at the creatures, it might help us in blocking them.

So I darted my eyes desperately to find us a safe zone.

Which I did.

The area where the injured ones were resting. Where we had left our bags as we had gone ahead to be the animal/insect murderers.

The rocks above were strong and safe. Space was wide enough too.

I shouted again and pointed I'm that direction, telling everyone to go there.

They all complied and we sprinted to save our lives once again.

The only difference was we ran backwards instead of forward this time.

When we reached into the middle of the safe zone, I counted us to be seven plus three who had never left.

Two were still not here.

Christopher and someone else.

I panicked as I looked for them.

I spotted Christopher a few feet ahead to right side where he was trying to help the other boy whose leg was bleeding.

Probably due to one of the rocks that fell from the roof.

I ran towards them.

Not to help them.

But to save him. Christopher.

I already knew I couldn't save the other guy.

The roof had completely given off from one side.

Exactly above Christopher and other guy.

I had to get Christopher away before the roof fell down. Either killing him or trapping him forever.

So I soared into the ground, pushing my feet harder.

"CHRISTOPHER!" I called out.

With a harsh thrust, I pushed Christopher away from the danger zone and into the safer area.

The impact contracted with me so deeply that I was forced to fall back on my ass.

In the next moment this happened.

The

Rocks

Fell

On

The

Ground

 _Altogether._

Trapping me completely.

For a second, I was stunned.

My eyes refused to believe what just went down in front of them.

Yes, I had successfully managed to get Christopher in safety.

But I had failed to remain in that safety too.

Now I was trapped into a narrow section of this cave for God knows how long.

It could be forever. I could die here out of several reasons.

Claustrophobia, suffocation, starvation, thirst, hypothermia.

Or what if those rats and spiders and snake somehow enter here through some narrow passage.

I think it was safe to admit that I was scared to death.

"You shouldn't have done that." A tired voice spoke from somewhere beside me.

I realized I wasn't alone. Other Guy was also trapped here with me.

But it didn't provide me the relief I should've felt with my new temporary companion.

"What I shouldn't have done?"

"It was supposed to be him, trapped in here. Not you."

I just shrugged. He took it as his cue to go on.

"I have seen both of you. How you're around each other, how you always save each other, how you just sacrificed yourself for him."

"Your point?"

"You're in love with him."

Of course I was. Anyone could see that.

"So?"

This time he shrugged. But his eyes sparkled like he couldn't believe it.

Even though he was the one who pointed it out on the first place.

"It's just that I wasn't expecting something like this to ever occur here. In the Brooke or in Pinnacle Race. Something so... miraculous."

He was wrong.

It wasn't miraculous. It was disastrous.

Because we all were doomed from the start.

I had promised Beth and myself to win the Pinnacle Race so that I could help other students stuck in BMHS.

Now my feelings were going to make me lose that promise, if I had not already lost because of them.

My brain told me to save myself while my heart told me to save Christopher.

Christopher - my angel, my savior.

Christopher - my rival contestant in the death trap of Pinnacle Race.

How could I fall for him under these circumstances?

But then, how could I _not_ fall for him?

He was always there for me. He protected me, saved me. Put my life before his.

He was selfless, brave, intelligent, caring, fearless and protective.

He was my safety net. My safe haven. My angel. My savior. My sanctuary. My peace. My salvation.

How could I not be in love with him?

But that didn't mean it was all happy endings with hearts and flowers.

It was just the opposite in fact.

It was a catastrophe.

My feelings were only going to hurt me here.

They would make me feel vulnerable, show my weaknesses which might not only hurt me but Christopher too.

Which was why this was no miracle. Only disaster.

But I didn't bother to correct the Other Guy or explain any of this.

I could see the hope in his eyes and I wasn't cruel enough to snatch it away from him.

Even when I believed it was a false hope.

"So what do we do now?" He asked after a long silence.

"There's no other option but to try to move the rocks."

He nodded. "Fine. You take on the fallen rocks and I'll try my luck with the walls."

"What about your leg?"

"It stopped bleeding. So I guess it's fine now."

I tirelessly started to break the newly formed wall.

Behind this wall, Christopher and other contestants were standing.

Or had they left?

What if they had found the way out of the third level and left us?

Would Christopher leave me here too? Had he already?

No I didn't think he would leave me like that.

Not him or Lucy or Emily.

They would try to rescue me first.

But if they didn't succeed then they would go.

Obviously they couldn't just sit here forever.

They would leave. If they hadn't already.

I would probably die here.

I would never see Christopher again.

Strangely stupid it was that how not seeing Christopher again stung more than the probability of dying.

Love was bloody stupid. A moron. So idiotic.

I shook my head and continued my failed attempts to try to move the rocks.

"Hey I got one free." Other Guy called out and I turned to look at him.

He had a big chunk of rock in his hand and beside him was an empty dark hole in the wall.

As I kept staring at it, water rapidly began to rush in.

We had found an opening to a river or something like that I suppose.

I almost screamed and jumped with joy while the water covered till our ankles, still not stopping.

Then it occurred to me.

We were still trapped.

And now the water was flowing in the confined space, with no other opening to go out.

That meant I was going to be drowned.

 _No!_

"Cover it up. Immediately!"

He looked at me in confusion then at the water that was know up to our knees.

Abruptly getting my fear, he positioned the rock back into its place and tried to fix it with his full strength.

I joined too.

Sadly it was no good.

I just won't stick back.

We attempted a few times before giving up fully.

Then we tried to move other rocks as well. Enough to create space for us to go through.

I didn't mind finding my way to land by swimming into the waters.

Unfortunately that didn't do us any good either.

The only thing that we were able to do was get off another chunk of rock which wasn't enough to let either or us through but enough for the stream to move in faster.

The ice cold water reached till our waists, almost numbing legs.

Yet I didn't give up.

When my arms got tired, I began screaming for help; in hope that somehow someone would help us.

Somehow Christopher would find me and save me again.

Another wishful thinking.

The water was now up to my chest. My legs had frozen a long minute ago.

Now the icy cold water was aiming to freeze my heart as well.

I shivered at first, still screaming, then banging against the access loudly that only aced in making my hands sore and bleed.

By the time the water Ana up to my neck, I had stopped shivering.

Half of my body frozen, while other half becoming numb, leaving its natural heat.

"It was nice meeting you Mia."

Other Guy said with a wink and that was all I saw before my head went inside the water at last while my body floated.

I held onto my breath. Kept the pressure in my lungs from being deflated.

My mouth struggled to open for the oxygen that was no longer available.

Still, I kept it shut. My nose blocked and my chest expanded to its capacity.

I had no idea how long I planned on holding onto my last breath but I refused die in vain like this.

There will come another time, another better way for me to die, but this wasn't one.

I didn't accept it to be.

I denied to be drowned though I already had.

Something made me keep holding on to it. Not giving in the freezing water that surrounded me.

I closed my eyes to sustain the energy that made me hold out my breath for longer.

It didn't work for much time.

Just a few seconds before my body took over.

My mouth opened by itself to inhale the air that was absent in the water.

Coldness poured straight into my chest as the liquid found its way in the lungs.

I was suddenly gasping for air, but it only brought more chilled temptation along with it.

My body jerked and shook as it let go of its last breath.

 _No! I want to breathe. Just let me breathe._

A sudden unwanted warm engulfed me. Shooting everywhere with my chest as its center point.

It was the warmth that came along with stillness and helplessness of death.

But as soon as it came, the water level began to deplete.

In a flash, I felt the cool air instead of icy liquid as I fell hard against the sharp, pointed rocks.

My lips opened in a gesture of sharp intake of breath but it was impossible to breathe.

 _God damn I just want to bre_ athe!

I could feel myself convulsing badly.

Several unclear voices saying something my water-filled ear couldn't catch on.

Something warm cupped both sides of my face and a steady pressure of life was given to me along with a relieved amount of oxygen.

The warmth moved down from my lips to my chest and pushed in while my nose was pinched hardly.

Once more the air fell into my useless lungs.

The cycle continued like this for a while before it became too much for me and I vomited buckets of water that surprisingly came all from within me.

With each time I heaved, my body quivered and thus weakened further.

But the strong familiar arms kept me upright while I let out all of the cursed liquid from within me.

As soon as I began to dry heave, one of the hands that supported me, traveled up on my back and gently thumped me a few times.

I leaned into his chest when he lifted me up into his arms. I felt so weak to do anything else.

Not bothering to open my eyes I let my head rest against his shoulder.

Christopher grabbed my hand and fisted it around something.

A Golden Lotus.

That means we cleared another level. But how...?

"Christopher..." My voice came out all sore and extremely rough. It didn't sound like my usual soft low voice at all.

"Shh!" He cut me off. His lips pressed against my hair. He continued walking quickly all the while carrying me in his arms.

"Go to sleep Mia. You're safe now."

Now who was I to refuse such a tempting offer?

"Christopher?"

"Yeah babe?"

I paused. Hesitant.

Was this a good time to say this?

Well, there was never good time here.

So why not now?

 _To hell with it!_

"I love you Christopher."

He stopped walking. I was too nervous to open my eyes and see his expressions.

But all my nervousness vanished when he ducked and dropped a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you too Mia. So fucking much."

His voice came all pained and yet relieved. Violent yet peaceful. Calm yet overwhelmed.

I guess he felt exactly like I had said earlier.

Like a miraculous disaster.

"Sleep now babe."

I obeyed him and slept in his arms. Not knowing or caring where he was taking me.

As long as it was with Christopher, I didn't care.

And that was how I, Anastasia Steele under the facade of Mia Fields, survived yet another level of the Pinnacle Race.

And also found my first love.

Christopher Grey

* * *

 **Ahh! Finally.. the L bomb dropped between Ana and Christopher :') Now don't worry.. Christopher was the first love, Christian would be the last ;)**


	19. Anastasia 19

**Good News for you guys! I've finally completed writing The Brooke which means I'll update super soon now. ^_^**

 **So, as promised as soon as I got 11 reviews I'm posting a new chapter here.**

 **Thank you LunaTheBlackWolf and AndTheSaintsAreAllMadeOfGold for suggesting me the songs. They're awesome and really inspired me to write the plot ahead.**

 **WARNING : THIS CHAPTER MIGHT BE PRETTY INTENSE OR DEPRESSING FOR SOME OF YOU!**

 **CHAPTER 19**

 **Shocks**

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE, NOWHERE to go.

It stretched over miles, or at least as far as my gaze went. Leaving us with no ground to walk on.

Did that mean we had to cross the fourth level by swimming?

I was not ready to dive into that life threatening liquid again. I still hadn't recovered from the shocks of the previous level.

Where my encounter with the water almost got me killed.

Actually if I look at it now, there are many things I won't be able to look at the same way if I somehow survive through these race.

Such as Polar Bears or Sky diving or woods and trees or the caves or rats and spiders.

So it wasn't just water bodies that I had formed a new fear towards.

It wasn't just fire that was my phobia, my weakness.

It was all these things now, including the mountains.

I don't think I would ever be able to go trekking on mountains or to any hill stations without ever thinking of the Brooke.

Of how it had ruined me.

The fourth level started after three days of when the third level ended.

Christopher had stayed with me that night and helped me to warm so that I don't suffer from hypothermia after almost being drowned in the icy cold water.

He also told me about the two contestants we had lost in third level.

One was the Other Guy who had drowned with me.

Unfortunately, no one was successful to save him or resurrect him back to life.

I seriously owed Christopher a lot.

I had lost the count of how many times he had saved my life.

When I thanked him, his nostrils flared in anger.

"You saved me. You wouldn't have been there in first place had you not tried to save me. I owed you Mia. But that's not really why I saved you." He had said.

"Then why did you?"

He leaned closer until his mouth brushed against mine seductively.

"Because I love you."

My heart blossomed at those words while my whole body wept with desire.

I wanted him to take me right then, to prove me how much he really loved me.

Sadly, we weren't alone.

So that would have to wait.

The other contestant had died of the snake bite.

I asked Christopher what had happened after I got stuck in the cave.

All he told me was that it wasn't pretty and it was better to not know about it.

I didn't argue on that. Because honestly, I didn't want to know.

All that mattered to me was that Christopher, Lucy, Emily, Brandon, Jose and Garrett were safe and alive.

Though my soul mourned for Angela and the other two we had lost in Level Three.

We were down to ten now.

That night we rested and continued our journey to fourth level.

Everyone walked slower now. No one was in rush to die.

We rested more frequently. Ate and drank more often. Slept more than needed.

Our supplies were running low. We needed to conserve or we could all die before reaching the final level.

By the time the night had come, we were already settled into another bonfire camp.

But I didn't stay there for long.

Not because the fire was making me uncomfortable, but because there was a different type of fire burning inside me.

A fire that only Christopher could extinguish.

So I silently crept into the farthest and darkest corners of our hike, knowing it won't be long before Christopher came looking for me.

All it took for him to find me was three minutes.

As soon as I turned towards the sound of his approach, he attacked me with a brutal kiss.

Stunned at first, I stood frozen and took his assaults then returned them with my own tongue into his warm mouth.

We devoured and explored each other's mouth for a long time before the hunger grew impossibly strong.

From the way his hands reached for my clothes, I could tell he wanted to just rip them away. But he controlled himself.

I was wearing the spare change of clothes I had kept in my bag, the initial ones were of no use now that they were wet.

I seriously doubted if he delayed anymore, these pair of panties would be all wet too.

Thankfully he didn't.

He gently laid me down on the grassy floor as he removed my tracks followed by my panties.

I was already so wet, I was sure he could see my sex glistening from the need to have him inside me.

But he decided to lead on the torture a little more.

He gave me a devilish sexy glint and that was all the warning he gave before he roughly spread my thighs wide apart and buried his face in between my legs.

As soon his warm breath blew on my sensitive skin, I was a goner.

There was no way I could've controlled my needy moan, so I didn't even try.

The feeling of his gorgeous silky hair against my lower belly only added to my prolonged pleasure.

"Christopher, please."

He kissed me _there_ , before asking me, "Please what?"

 _The asshole was teasing me._

"Just please."

"What Mia? Say it."

"Kiss me." My voice came out all wanton.

"Where?" He asked.

Bloody bastard! He was playing with me.

"There. Down there." Ugghh! I was so embarrassed yet so turned on.

He dropped another kiss, his soft lips lingering a second longer against my wet skin.

"Like this?"

Yeah, just like that.

"Or rather like this?"

His tongue darted out and slid across my opening with a long swipe.

I cried out in ecstasy.

It was so intense, so good. I had never felt like that before.

"Tell me Mia." Christopher urged. His voice came out low like he was barely in control.

"Tell me which way you like more?"

I was gasping as I spoke. "Just like you did now."

He licked me once more and sucked at my clit.

Oh God! He was trying to kill me.

"Like this?"

"Yes. Please."

I didn't have to beg anymore.

He gave me what I needed.

His tongue ruthlessly played with my entrance, stroking my inner walls deep within while I rode my hips against his mouth.

The sounds that left my mouth were no longer mine.

I became another creature as Christopher continued to please me with his mouth.

His hands harsh on my thighs, to keep me from bouncing up or crawl away from him.

He brought one of his hands up and circled my clit gently with his thumb.

That stimuli made me climb over the edge.

He sucked on me one last time, hard.

Then lightly bit me. Down _there_. On my clit.

And I fell.

I fell...

and fell...

and fell...

fell, fell, fell...

 _Hard_

I came undone, shattering beneath him, screaming his name.

And Christopher licked me throughout, restlessly.

By the time I had recovered from the fireworks behind my eyes, his clothes had already joined mine in the pile and his cock was readily pressed against me.

He slipped into me completely with one single thrust.

My mouth opened to scream but nothing came out. I choked onto it.

And then he began to move, bringing me to two more wonderful orgasms before releasing into me.

The next two days had same slow walking towards Level Four and the next two nights had same toe-curling results.

This morning Lucy had come and whispered in to my ear.

"Some of us try to sleep at night. Could you please keep your voices down next time?"

I flushed with embarrassment as I looked at her to apologize.

But the playful gleaming in her eyes told me she was just teasing it.

My face heated in response. I felt giddy.

That lasted for about ten more minutes before we spotted the fourth check point.

Now standing at the board of Level Four, the bell ringing, I could only see water stretched from this point on.

But the river- or was it a lake?- was not dead.

Tiny, elongated creature were floating; swimming rapidly under the surface.

I bent down and put my hand in the water.

A painful jolt of electricity bolted in my hand, following my arm and then my whole body, making me suddenly dizzy.

Reflexively I brought the hand back and cradled it against my chest.

My body didn't stop shaking from the shock effects.

Christopher came forward and gathered my hand in both of his.

"You okay?"

Not sure if I could speak, I just nodded.

He wiped the wetness against my eyes from his thumb with a tender look on his face.

I didn't even know I was crying.

Lucy came forward and stared into the water, examining the aquatic creatures.

"Electrophorus electricus." She said.

"What?"

Did she speak English?

"Name of these little monsters. Commonly known as Electric Eels. That ring a bell?"

It did. From the middle school science class.

"They are said to be the most unsophisticated primitive creatures, know for shocking their prey to death." She said.

"But it turns out that they can manipulate their electric fields in an intricate fashion that gives them a number of remarkable abilities. They produce three different kinds of electrical discharges: low-voltage pulses for sensing their environment; short sequences of two or three millisecond, high-voltage pulses given off while hunting; and volleys of high-voltage, high-frequency pulses when the eel is capturing prey or defending itself."

"You seem to know a lot about them." That was Brandon.

She shrugged. "My brother is a zoologist specializing in aquatic life. I was particularly fascinated by the electric eels."

"Why is that so?"

"There is no other animal that can literally take control of the body of another animal like this."

"So there is no chance of swimming through this." I concluded.

"Unless you want to try your luck with them."

"Then how are we supposed to cross this level?" I asked.

Christopher answered me. "Look up."

We were all so engrossed by the river in front of us that none of us had bothered to look around.

Of course Christopher was exception to that.

He was an observer. He observed everything surrounding him with calculations.

I followed the direction of his eyes. My gaze landed on large outstretched trees that stood in the middle of water.

With numerous of large vine like branch extensions hanging off from them.

And I understood how we were supposed to go through this level.

"You've got to be kidding me." Emily exclaimed.

"I wish." Christopher replied.

In a flash, I was jumping upon the opportunity.

I hurried towards the tree and began climbing it.

Christopher and others followed me.

They all took different directions around the tree as they climbed.

Garrett was the first one to reach there, followed by Brandon and Christopher.

All three helped Lucy, Emily and I respectively then others as well.

As soon as the last person, Jose, was on the tree, we all carefully began to jump on the vines of the tree, maintaining our balance.

And so our race to another pinnacle began once again.

This time I did not have the advantage of my running skills.

It was all Tarzan-like swinging from one rope to another.

One slip of hand, one miscalculated swipe of body could be deadly.

We'd fall straight into water and be shocked to death.

An insane giggle escaped from my throat.

"Wanna share the joke?" Emily asked, looking annoyed. She certainly thought I had gone mental.

I wasn't sure if she was completely wrong.

"At least no one is coming to eat us this time." I answered.

I could swear I saw Christopher and Brandon's mouths twitch.

Either they found my observation funny like I did or they thought I had completely lost it as well.

Soon all the humor faded away as we began to jump from one branch to another.

I checked and tugged onto each vine before leaning on it.

Christopher was right behind me, few others were already ahead of us.

I had a feeling that Christopher could actually outrun us all, but he was staying behind for me.

It brought a smile on my face.

"Hey Christopher, did I tell you something?" I spoke as I juggled my way through the vine ropes.

We were more than halfway.

Being it an inclining slope towards the peak, made it harder for us than it was supposed to be.

My arms were getting tired but I knew I couldn't let go. Else the water would take my life for the second time.

 _Just a few more vines. You can do this Ana!_

"What Mia?" Christopher asked me.

I realized deep into my mind that how easy it was for me to switch from Ana to Mia and back and forth now.

I shook my head and answered him.

"I love you."

I could feel him smiling behind me.

"I don't think I need to say how much I lov-"

His unfinished sentence forced me to turn and look at him.

Only to see him lose his balance and fall.

Straight into the water.

"CHRISTOPHER!"

I screamed in panic. Knowing it won't do anything. Just like my arm outstretched in hope of catching him.

"Somebody help me!" I shrieked wildly.

"Mia catch." Jose shouted from somewhere.

A coil of rope was thrown at me. I caught it immediately, noticing it was made of jute.

Without a second thought, I tied one end tightly around my waist and threw the other end over the long horizontal trunk or three above us.

"Jose, hold onto it."

He did as I said.

"The moment I grab hold of Christopher, pull it. You understand?"

Not bothering to wait for his reply, I let both of my hand go free of the Vine I was holding on.

I jumped into the river filled with electric eels.

To save my love. My savior.

I streamlined my body like a diver pushing myself exactly where I saw Christopher' head.

With a daunting ache in my chest, I realized he wasn't moving.

Any minute now he could drown.

He wasn't trying to swim. But his body jerked in every few seconds.

The shocks!

The eels were giving him the shocks.

I prayed to reach him before it was too late.

That was all I think of as I fell freely into the water just beside him.

My first reaction was to slip both my arms under his armpits and tightly loops my hands at his front together.

My second reaction was to jerk violently as the first tremors of shock ran through me.

Then another.

And another.

I felt a prick on my leg before I felt the jolt of electricity travelling through my nerves at an extremely painful wavelength.

I was being electrocuted.

Directly by an eel.

As in on the skin, not through water as medium.

The eel was on my leg.

My brain cells were dying as my whole body feel into painful mind-numbing shocks.

I tried my best to not let go of Christopher.

My vision darkened. My mind blanked. My body shook.

I couldn't do anything.

So I stayed still. Never letting go of Christopher.

Then I felt the tug of the rope tied around my waist and mercifully, we were lifted off from the surface of the water... into the air.

Tears pricked my eyes as my body shook from the after effects of the shocks.

Breathing was painfully impossible.

It felt like someone had peeled off my skin and put it back inside out.

We were continued to be lifted higher into the air while I fought through the pain and shocks.

 _I had to be strong. For Christopher. I had to be._ _I can't let go of him._

My arms were growing weaker. My sockets were screaming in agony under his heavy weight.

But I willed my hands to remain twisted together.

"Mia! You okay there?" I recognized it was Brandon's voice.

I gave him a mere nod.

"Hold on we're coming."

 _Please come fast, I can't hold on much longer._

I wanted to say but the eels had got my tongue.

I couldn't feel a single muscle in my body. God knows how I had managed to hold Christopher for so long.

Christopher!

I looked at him. He still wasn't moving. From what could I see of his face, it was little pinkish and his eyes were closed.

The shocks must have affected him deeply.

I was worried for him.

Before I could assess the damage caused to him, Brandon arrived and took most of the weight of Christopher from me.

My arms cried in relief. Blood rushed to them and the shocks' after affect only added more agony.

Jose was now in front of us along with Lucy and Emily and Garrett.

Together they struggled to pull me and Christopher at the end of the last tree.

I didn't know how exactly they did it. My brain was still sleeping from the electric waves it had experienced.

Vaguely, I remembered them pulling on to my rope while Brandon had another one tied to Christopher as he supported him.

My hands were still uselessly clutched on Christopher's shirt by the time we reached the tree and our squad helped bringing both of us down to the land.

It had turned dark by then.

Brandon sprawled on the grass catching his breath but not before gently laying Christopher down.

He still wasn't moving or opening his eyes.

As soon as Brandon let go of him, I climbed on top of his and put both of my hands on his cheeks.

"Christopher wake up."

He didn't move.

I shook him. "Christopher, baby please wake up."

No movement.

I was trying not to lose it. I forced myself to keep breathing normally.

"We're all fine now. Please wake up."

"Christopher! Please."

"Come on. Open your eyes, you asshole."

"I love you. Don't leave me."

"I swear I'll kill you and my myself if you don't get up right now."

"Christopher Grey, wake up this instant!"

"Please please please baby. Get up Christopher. Get up."

I don't know how long I kept going on like that. Screaming, pleading, ordering, scolding, begging for him to wake up.

But he didn't.

I shook him gently and roughly, kissed him passionately and desperately.

Still no response.

A hand landed on my shoulder. Lucy looked at me with a sympathetic expression that I instantly hated.

I didn't like the meaning behind it. I didn't want to see it. I refused to see what she was trying to tell me with that face.

"Mia-" She started.

"No! Don't say another word." I cut her off with my angry words.

I was so, so, so angry. My emotions were all raging up.

Christopher wasn't waking up. He wasn't even opening his eyes and it was making me so scared and so angry.

I couldn't control my next action.

My hand came up with a force at his face as my palm met harshly with his cheek.

I slapped him! _Brutally_.

The effect was so instant, my heart pained as it suddenly began beating again.

Blue-grey eyes fluttered open, finally giving me the glimpse of my sky.

He opened his mouth, gulping loads of air.

As he breathed more and more, my breathing came back to its normal pace.

Though my heart was still pumping wildly.

I tasted salty tears on my lips. The tear-drops stained every single surface of my face.

Once he calmed down, his eyes met mine. From his concerned expressions I could tell I probably looked like hell.

After all I just had just spent long minutes in it that seemed like an eternity.

"Mia. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Oh, he had the nerve to ask me that!

I slapped him again.

The loud _whack_ that came from it, echoed through the trees.

Few mouths opened in shock as Christopher's face almost turned to ninety degrees from my attack.

Not giving him a chance to speak, I answered him furiously.

"First you dive into the river filled with those eels like you're on some adventure camp, then you don't wake up throughout the Tarzan-swinging part. Then we had to carry your dead ass the whole way here. Then you don't wake up while I cry over you lying here like some pathetic widow. And you dare to ask me _what's wrong_?"

A long silence followed my little angry speech.

Christopher opened his mouth a few times to form a reply but failed every time.

I could see Lucy and Emily trying to keep from smiling while brushing away their tears.

It touched me to see how important Christopher was to them too.

Brandon did not have as much control as the girls did and burst out laughing. Garrett and others joined him.

Their laughter only made Christopher more confused and me angrier.

I started hitting, punching and slapping Christopher wherever I could find my attack to land on.

I bawled and whined like a baby as I kept murmuring things like "I hate you" or "You're an idiot".

My insanity didn't last long. Christopher quickly grabbed on to my wrists, his touch tender yet strong.

He pulled me into him and embraced me within his arms, my head buried in his chest.

I stiffened. My frantic insane movements stopped completely. I melted under his touch.

And the bloody emotional dam broke.

Everything poured out from my body and I snuggled against him.

Christopher tightened his arms around me.

"I lost you. You weren't waking up. I lost you."

My nonsense ranting began again but this time instead of hateful words I told him how much I loved him, how much I was scared when he didn't wake up.

Christopher soothed me with his voice, caging me in his arms while one hand caressed my hair.

He rained kisses all over my face. Kissing each tear that fell from my eyes.

"It's okay baby, I'm here. I'm here with you. We're safe. We're alive. I love you."

He kept reassuring me, never getting tired of holding me.

Once my crying subsided, his hand came under my chin to lift my face up.

His eyes met mine. The blue in them glowing with love, dissolving the grey as he leaned down and captured his lips with mine.

His warm wet tongue entered my mouth, claiming my soul, my heart.

I gave into this much needed kiss and roughly fist my fingers into his hair.

My tongue entwined with his. Connecting forever, refusing to be apart.

They created their own salsa, using our tangled mouths as their dancing platform.

Someone cleared his or her throat but we didn't pay attention.

"Guys, as much as I'd hate to interrupt the show, Level Four is still not over. We have to move before we are the ones left to fight for the lotuses again." Lucy said.

I was shocked that I had totally forgotten they were there too, watching us.

Embarrassment caught up with me when I realized they all saw our personal moment.

For a few minutes it was just Christopher and I, nobody else existed.

But now as I came back to the real world, my eyes lowered. I couldn't look at any one of their faces.

We all assembled back and started walking swiftly to the peak.

My hand entangled with Christopher'; our fingers locked and twisted with each other, never letting go.

Surprisingly we came onto others pretty quickly.

They didn't look like they were rushing to the peak.

I realized the level was not over yet. That meant more danger was to come.

My grip on Christopher' hand tightened. He understood my fear and squeezed it back silently in reassurance.

Apart from the seven of us, only two more were there.

Only nine left.

Emily told us a girl had also fell into the water and died when they were all busy helping me and Christopher.

I felt guilty for not noticing her. I wish I could've saved her.

But I was injured myself.

No matter how hard I tried, we kept losing more people as we entered each new level.

If I were to die today, my last wish would be to destroy the Brooke and BMHS forever.

Why were they like this? Why did they do this to us? What did they gain from this?

There were the questions I wanted to know the answers to before I die.

Sadly, I don't think anyone among the contestants knew the answers.

That meant I had to survive through the race to know the mystery behind all this.

I won't die in vain. My promise to Beth was not forgotten.

A sudden pull from Christopher woke me from my self-prepping thoughts.

He tugged on my hand that forced me to stop and stand behind him.

I peeked around his shoulder but saw nothing ahead us.

"Garrett wait." Christopher warned him but he was too late.

Garrett was walking on a red sheet spread on the ground. Only it wasn't a lifeless sheet, it was something else.

It came alive under his steps and turned into thick liquid.

Garrett's feet jammed in it, sinking slowly in them.

He looked down in confusion and attempted to lift his legs up. His struggled only caused him to sink more rapidly.

It was somewhat a familiar sight. I had watched something like that in _Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie_ when I was younger.

But the scene in front of me looked a bit wrong.

Garrett panicked and started moving more, not understanding that his struggling caused him more harm.

The thick liquid was pulling him down and down and down. He sank further into the deep red familiar liquid.

Blood. I knew it was blood.

I had seen it spilled enough since last four levels.

We all watched gaping at him as he stooped down to his waist.

The word flashed in my mind like a lightning bolt.

 _Quicksand!_

It was a quicksand. But instead of sand it was all blood.

Garret was going to sink in it and choke on blood and die!

I put myself to work immediately.

Freeing my hand from Christopher, I snatched Emily's bag and took out the umbrella from it.

I ran at the banks of the quicksand, or quickblood or whatever the heck it was.

Stretching my hand as far as it could go, I shouted to Garrett.

"Grab on to it, quick."

He brought his hands up in the attempt to latch onto the edge of the umbrella.

Unfortunately it wasn't long enough.

"Brandon!" I shouted. "Your umbrella. Fast."

In next second Christopher was at my side. Brandon's umbrella in his hand.

"Get back Mia." He said and stretched his hand to help Garrett.

I stepped aside to let him assist Garrett.

He obviously was better because he was taller and had more strength and he could put his weight to an advantage here.

If I were to pull Garrett, I was pretty sure it would end up with me in that quicksand of blood too.

As soon as Garrett ran be the umbrella after a few attempts, Christopher and I began to pull him out.

Garrett lost his grip.

We did it again and failed again.

Brandon came forward to help us.

Still it didn't work.

After a hundred more tries and failed results with only Garrett's head above the death trap, we all accepted our defeat.

"Win the Race guys. Kick their asses." Garrett choked out.

I went livid as his words sunk into my mind.

"No! No, no, no. We won't leave you Garrett."

"Mia, we gotta go." Christopher told me. I could hear the pain and sorrow in his tone.

"No. We can't leave him here."

"It's better than to watch him die Let's go."

"I am not leaving him."

Christopher did not listen to me. "Trust me when I say you don't want to see this."

Without waiting for my reply he bent down, swept my off my feet and threw over his shoulder like a rag doll.

A sharp intake of breath and my hands landing on his back for support was all the reaction I could manage before he started running, taking me away from Garrett as he died.

I struggled against Christopher but he tuned me out.

His steps wet more focused in not landing onto more blood covered areas that crossed our path.

He zig-zagged and jump led through the path, sometimes jumping up and down and my whole body bounced with his movements.

I told him to put me down. That it would make easier for us to sort the way individually but he didn't listen.

His grip on me tightened every time we crossed another quicksand/blood.

As the way towards the peak became steeper, his footsteps grew heavier, his breathing more ragged.

"Christopher, please just put me down. I can walk over by myself."

"Just shut up Mia or I'll throw you down the slope and you'll end up like Garrett."

Asshole.

I didn't say a word to him afterwards.

I was just try in to make it easier for me.

He didn't need to carry me or manhandle me like this when I was perfectly fine.

 _Whatever now. I don't care._

If he wanted to be the bastard he was when I met him first at Glean Center, who was I to stop him?

He finally put me down when we reached the pinnacle, where the table lay in front of us.

Seven Golden Lotuses. We were eight, now that Garrett wasn't with us.

I missed him already.

We all pounced on the flowers and took one in our hands.

Wait. We were seven.

Someone else was missing.

"Where's Emily?" I asked Lucy.

She looked around. Fear forming at her face as she realized Emily wasn't here with us.

But it was Brandon who's reaction shocked me.

He dropped his bag to the ground and wildly started looking around, running in circles.

"Emily! Emily where are you? Em! Answer me, god dammit."

His confident posture slumped into a terrified one.

We all looked for her, searching her. Christopher and Brandon went back to the quicksand area also.

They came back an hour later.

Christopher shook his wad with resignation.

Lucy burst to tears. I was pretty sure I was on her lead too.

Brandon stalked towards Lucy, harshly holding her from her shoulders.

"Where did she go? She was walking with you."

Lucy's answered in fear.

"I don't know. I swear she was walking right behind me. We didn't talk much after we left Garrett. I thought she was still behind me. I didn't heard her voice or her scream once-"

"Lucy it's alright. Brandon, please let her go before you hurt her." Christopher said hardly.

Brandon was losing it. We could all see it. There was a certain desperation in his eyes, his clumsy movements, his panicked state.

The same kind I saw in Christopher when he had saved me from drowning in Level Three.

The same kind I think I had when Christopher wasn't waking up after the shocks.

I never noticed anything between Emily and Brandon. As far as I knew they rarely ever talked.

Yet seeing Brandon right now so scared and desperate and helpless, I knew he loved her.

And he just lost her.

We all did but Brandon's pain was nothing compared against mine.

I could actually feel it in the air, my heart sympathizing with his.

The bell rang, indicating the end to Level Four.

Brandon fell onto his knees. His expression so devastating and tragic.

Tears formed in his eyes.

"EMIIIILLLLYYYYY"

He cried out, weeping for his lost love.

The fourth level ended with me losing two more of my friends and Brandon losing his love before he could ever have her.

We would always remember you, Garrett and Emily.

 **So who all for a moment there though I was going to Kill CHRISTOPHER?**

 **Seriously? You guys think I'm that cruel? NO WAY! I'm much CRUELER than that XD**

 **DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ELECTROCUTED BY ELECTRIC EELS!**

 **(Can we please make it upto 200 reviews?!)**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	20. Anastasia 20

**It's the FINAL LEVEL of Pinnacle Games.**

 **How do ya feel?**

 **Well this chapter turned out to be long so I broke it into two.**

 **But don't worry I'm posting both of them together ;)**

 **CHRISTIAN IS COMING BACK!**

 **Say your goodbyes to Christopher though. (For now!)**

 **NOTE : I WANT AT LEAST 25 REVIEWS FOR THE TWO CHAPTERS I'M POSTING.**

 **Till then you'll have to wait for Christian.**

 **CHAPTER 20**

 **Final Level**

IT WAS THE NIGHT before the fifth level. The final level.

We had walked for days in silence.

Brandon had yet to utter a word.

We were all shocked at his reaction on Emily's disappearance.

No one had ever suspected anything going on between them.

Her loss hung deep over our decreased group.

Garrett was another story.

Everyone had seen him dying. Seen him choking in the pool of blood.

His death was grieved by all of the seven contestants left.

Five from our group and two others.

There were less frequent breaks for rest now.

We all had come so close to ending this, witnessed so many deaths, lost ourselves so many times trying to survive that we just wanted it to end.

In morning, we had finally tumbled upon the sign board indicating the fifth level up high at the peak of probably the highest mountain in the Brooke.

Our trekking had ended by the late evening as soon as we reached the final checkpoint.

But we were all exhausted and in no set of mind to be ready for another level. The last one.

My insides shook up trying to think what this level could possibly hold for us.

Running, flying, falling, burning, drowning. We had done it all.

Polar bears, rats, spiders, snakes, electric eels. Now which animal threaten us to be their prey?

About half a mile ahead from the check point, a source of light was visible.

Lucy took out her binoculars and saw through it.

"It's a house. A small building like structure. The top floor lies at the pinnacle." She had said.

"That must be our final destination."

"Please don't name that movie. This whole thing is spooky enough anyway." The remaining girl said.

She looked scared and out of her mind. Her pupils were dilated and she let out strange noises every now and then.

Couldn't blame her. I was myself on the verge of a breakdown.

If it hadn't been for Christopher, I might have been worse than this girl.

"I'll go and check with Jose what's in that house." Christopher suggested.

"No!" I objected abruptly.

"Just to be alert what's in there when the levels start, Mia. It's going to be fine. I won't steel the lotus trophy."

I scowled at him. That wasn't why I objected at all.

"What if whatever danger is in there harms you?"

"The level hasn't started yet. It won't till the last of us crosses the check point. So you make sure that doesn't happen and we'll go check it out."

"You think it would be on a standby mode and won't harm you until the level starts?"

As if the snakes wouldn't have come before the ringing of the bell, or the eels wouldn't have shocked us.

He smirked and gave me a quick peck on my lips. "Guess we'll have to find that out."

Before I could ask what he meant, he was already off to crossing the check point with Jose on his heels.

"Christopher" I called after him.

I wanted to run and stop him but that meant crossing the check point and I was pretty sure others would follow me as well.

Their suspicious worried glanced already indicated that they weren't sure for Christopher and Jose to not take some advantage.

But I knew he wouldn't leave me alone if he had planned something like that.

Besides, he would never even think of betraying other contestants.

"You're wrong." Lucy blurted out.

"What?"

Her intelligent eyes seek me as she answered.

"You're wrong to think he would wait for us, that he would help us."

Were my thoughts that loud?

"What the hell do you mean? He has always helped us. Probably endangered his life in that process too."

"It was never us Mia. It was always you. He always helped you, saved you. The times that he helped us? It was only when you insisted. Had it not been your will to not leave others behind, he would've probably killed us all to save you and himself."

"You're wrong. He was so guilty of what happened to Kyle. It wasn't even his fault."

"But he had fought him. He let Kyle die."

"Kyle was the one attacking us. What would have you done in his place?"

"I don't know. Maybe share the lotus with him. Or at least not let him die like that?"

Surprisingly Brandon joined her too.

"Think it over Mia. Others fell off that cliff too but he saved you only. In the woods, at the cave, from the blood pools. Why only you?"

"Because he loves me."

Brandon flashed a painful smile. I choked up from within for Emily.

God I missed her brat like attitude. It made things easier by a drop.

"Exactly, he loves you. He is in love with you, not all of us. I don't really blame him. Was it up to me I probably would've done the same."

His voice cracked with heartache at the last words.

He looked so distraught. But that didn't extinguish my anger at them for accusing Christopher like that.

"Well he hasn't done anything yet and I am here. So if you think he won't come back for you, I know he'll come back for me."

"That's what I am counting on." Lucy said.

And Christopher did return in twenty minutes, stating they didn't find anything unusual.

Though Jose looked a bit funny.

"What's up with you?"

Right on cue, he stifled a yawn. "Just tired."

We all were.

So we decided to camp few feet away from the check point, trusting each other not to sneak off in the middle of the night.

"Won't matter. There's no lotus in there. But there's a vacant glass box with 'Winner's Golden Lotus' ingrained on it. I think the lotus would somehow pop up in it when the bell for the final level rings." Christopher had explained.

We all set our sleeping bags far, far away from each other. Needing this one last night to ourselves.

Needless to say, Christopher and I were an exception to this.

We curled into each other, waiting for the sleep to come over but the dread for the next day kept us awake.

Soon both of us grew tired of the silence so we came up with this game where we compared people with food items.

Weird, I know.

But also too much fun.

Lucy would be a fruit salad with all different moods.

Brandon would be Peanut Butter Sandwich - everyone's safe choice.

Jose was a coconut - hard to crack but when he eventually did, it was all sweet water inside.

Finally I had asked him about me.

His answer was bitter melon.

"That's so gross. I feel insulted."

"It's not gross at all. You're not looking at it the right way."

"Please enlighten me." I said sarcastically.

"See bitter melon is really good for health. It cures many diseases like Diabetes and Constipation, naturally. It's good for heart too. There are so many skin benefits of eating bitter melon. Nutritional value of that food is pretty high too." He explained.

"So you see. Healthy, good for heart, healing, valuable and makes everything beautiful. That's you Mia."

Warmth spread inside my chest.

Still, he called me a bloody bitter melon. I pouted. "But it tastes so... bitter."

He chuckled. "Now that's where I'd have to disagree. You don't taste bitter at all."

He lowered his voice, his expressions turning all seductive. "In fact, you taste mighty fine. Like a forbidden fruit."

I blushed. Blood heated not only inside my cheeks but in between my thighs too.

"So what food am I?"

"Mmmmm" I thought over it before finally speaking. "Hot Dog."

His crooked one of his brows at me with a knowing look. I realized what my food item probably indicated.

"Oh no. Not in that way you pervert."

He grinned. "I didn't say a thing."

"Your face said it all."

He grinned wider.

"So why Hot Dog?"

"It's my favorite food. I'm craaazy about it. It's addicting, the taste is very heavenly and it provides safety to me. It's my comfort food. My guilty pleasure. My unhealthy sin. Just like you."

We didn't talk much after that. He showed me all the ways in which he was my guilty pleasure, my heavenly taste, my unhealthy sin.

"You're so bloody beautiful Mia." Christopher said as he passionately pumped himself into me. His breaths all jagged.

I was too drowned into my blissful state to respond him.

My legs tightened around his sexy taut ass, desperately chasing the high.

His hand landed onto the area that adjoined us and began rubbing my clit with determined circles.

"Oh my god, Christopher!"

He kissed and sucked at my neck, making sure to leave love bites.

"I love you Mia. I love you so fucking much."

"Christopher..." That was all I could manage to say.

"Come baby. Come with me."

He pinched at my clit and I slipped into the bliss with his mouth on mine, drinking all my screams as he exploded with me.

"I love you too. So much." I blurted out as soon as I was sedated and brought back into the world of living.

Correction, world of dying.

He covered the gap between us to kiss me softly.

It was the softest kiss he had ever given me.

Usually his kisses were all rough and needy and passionate and panties-wetting.

But this one was sweet, soft and loving. More like the first drop of rain in a freshly bloomed flower.

It was like he was trying to convince me of his love.

But why would he need to do that? I knew he loved me without a doubt.

"Remember this when I say I'm truly, deeply and madly in love with you. No matter what happens, no matter what goes down tomorrow, you'll never be on your own."

It never occurred to me that Christopher was scared for what would happen next. We could lose each other, one of us or both of us could die.

Honestly, I had too many near-death experiences to be scared for myself. But I was for Christopher.

No one knew what will happen if - no, _when_ \- we won.

We could also separate from each other. Who knew what BMHS had in for us?

All the worries, the fear that I had compartmentalized deep inside my mind came rushing back at me.

My limbs trembled with fear. Christopher took it as me shivering from cold.

He tightened his hold around me, kissing my head. "Go to sleep."

I obeyed him and went to sleep. Only to meet a fate worse than nightmares.

A SCREAM MADE ME stir up.

I launched into sitting position instantly, being vigilante of my surroundings.

My eyes landed on the source of noise.

It was Jose.

Holding out his head as he screamed in pain.

Both his hands covering a long gash on his leg. Blood poured out of it uncontrollably.

"Oh my god. Christopher." I shook him up. His sleepy gaze searched mine then followed the direction of my eyes.

We both went to Jose. I opened the first-aid kit and handed the materials to Christopher as he cleaned and tended to the wound.

The others had woken up by now.

"Who did this?"

Jose shook his head. "No idea. I was sleeping when I felt burning pain in my leg. Woke up to saw it bleeding, everyone was asleep."

That's strange. And suspicious too.

Christopher examined the wound. "It's too deep. You need stitches."

"What? Without any anesthesia?"

"We can give you some Advil but that's all we have. Who's good at sewing, here?"

Christopher didn't get an answer to his question because at that moment we heard something else.

Something that sounded unfamiliar to our ears. Like a snow storm but on much louder frequency.

I looked downwards at the slight slope we had ascended.

But nothing was clear anymore. Everything was covered in the thunder of snow waves coming at us.

I knew what it was. I had studied about it in eighth grade geography.

Lucy screamed behind me. "Landslide!"

Yes. Landslide. Only it wasn't sloping down the mountain.

It was climbing up.

Coming straight at us.

Had the level began already? But we hadn't crossed the checkpoint yet. Not all of us.

"Everyone. We need to get out of here. To the house. Now!" Christopher whisper-yelled and we all jumped to his command.

Taking our bags, not bothering to pack it, we all made a run for Level Five. Our end.

Until I halted in my steps stopping for Jose.

I looked back to see he was struggling to crawl.

"Jose!" I retreated in his direction with Christopher right on my heels.

Just like the first level, both of us held him from either side. His arms on each of our shoulders as we began to move.

Jose's leg screamed in protest but he sucked it up and hobbled with us.

That lasted just a few more steps before the pain became too much and he fell down into the snow.

"Jose, get up. We have to move."

The slides were aiming on us.

Any minute now the floor beneath us could smash, leaving us to die in the tsunami of snow.

"I can't. You go in without me."

"Are you mad? We're not leaving you."

Knowing it was pointless to argue with me. He turned to Christopher.

A silent look passed between them, then Christopher held me up at his side.

"Come on Mia. We gotta run."

"No! Are you insane? We can't leave him like that."

Jose interrupted.

"I'll be fine. Trust me. Just please go. Run before others take on to the lotus before you. You need to win. Go now."

Christopher tugged me forward, his hand wrapped tightly around me as he turned and began to run at his full speed.

I had no choice but to follow his lead or fall down.

Soon the survival instincts took over and I began to run by myself.

When he was certain I wouldn't turn back, he dropped my wrist. Allowing me to gain pace on him as I run at my best.

We crossed the checkpoint running.

The bell rang through the winds of the mountains, indicating the beginning of Final Level.

We caught up easily with other contestants.

That was when the first lightening struck.

Just a feet away from me.

And so the series of lightning began.

The thunder hinting their arrivals as they attacked us.

We dodged through most of them, getting grazed with the strikes on our elbows or foot.

The heavy flow of electricity that ran through me when my flying hair end came in contact with one of the lightning strike was mind numbing.

My stance immediately weekend as I began to fall down, about to meet another deadly strike.

Thankfully Lucy caught me before that happened, as she was running right behind me.

"MIA!" Christopher shouted from somewhere around.

I could hear the concern in his voice but didn't turn around.

My concentration was zeroed on not getting hit by a strike again.

My running had been slowed down from the affects of the shock but it was still fast enough.

The house was just six feet ahead. I could make it.

"I'm fine." I managed to call back at him. My throat felt all clogged up and heavy.

But I was determined not to be struck by lightning as I covered another feet of the distance between myself and the house.

Five feet now.

Four more.

Three feet.

Suddenly a loud powerful lightning bolt made its entry right in between our running bunch.

Striking directly on Brandon.

He flew backwards into the aid and landed hardly on his back, lying still.

We all ran to him, dodging the strikes.

Without a word, Lucy picked his bag as me and Christopher worked on carrying him inside.

It was a big struggle but luckily none of us got struck again.

By the time we had safely made it inside, he was making throaty sounds in pain.

"You fine Brandy?" Christopher asked him.

Bravely, Brandon opened his eyes. His vision all glassy but he nodded firmly at Christopher.

We began to tend him when our process was disrupted by an agonizing piercing scream of one of the remaining contestants.

The girl.

She rolled down from the stairs she must have been climbing and fell into a heap face-flat.

I ran to her and turned her body, so that she could face me.

My gaze landed on the slicing cut made at her throat as she began choking for air.

The light dimmed in her eyes. She held out her wispy shaking hand and pointed upstairs before it felt limp at her.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she stilled.

Someone had killed her. But who?

Who could kill in such a vicious cold blooded way?

I took my bag out and wore it in my front. Christopher had tipped me once that it was a pretty good shield.

With a pizza cutter in one hand and knife in the other, I climbed the stairs.

"Mia, wait for us. Don't go up alone there." Christopher shouted them turned to Brandon.

"Stay here buddy. We'll be back for you."

With that Christopher and Lucy came beside me.

Christopher positioned himself a step ahead of us as we climbed up. Protecting us.

We climbed straight to the top without any stop.

On our way, we had agreed to bring the glass box down if the lotus was in it and touch it together with Brandon.

Probably Jose too.

And end this all.

The threat that had killed the girl was yet to appear in front of us.

There were a lot of stairs. The empty building had fifteen floors according to Christopher.

Last five were covered with me leading them as Christopher grew a bit breathy, climbing it for the second time that night.

It was on the fourteenth floor that another hurdle finally showed up.

I was six or seven steps ahead of Lucy and Christopher, probably getting excited. That was all going to end.

I should've known it won't be so easy.

When I reached the fourteenth floor and was about to turn to the flight of stairs for the fifteenth, a flying foot contacted with my chest.

Leaving me breathless and falling backwards on the stairs as I lost my balance.

Had it not been for Christopher catching me, I would've fallen and broken my neck.

Christopher steadied me as I took deep breaths. My watery eyes searching for what had hit me.

Or rather who had hit me.

It was him.

The last remaining contestant.

But he looked different now.

His eyes were out for blood but also looked dead. The look on his face was blank like the of a robot.

I had seen that expression before. That look still haunted me at nights sometimes.

It was how Jose and his friends had looked at me when they were about to rape me.

This boy had deadly weapons in his hand. A long murderous sword in one and an axe in another.

He snarled at us.

"Cody, you don't have to do this." Lucy spoke out in a thin voice. "We're all in same team. We can win this together."

"I'm not in the same team. I'm in their team. I belong to the Brooke." Cody replied in a dead monotone.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I belong to them. I was never a part of this game. I am part of a level. This fifth and final level."

He spoke like an advanced but still programmed robot.

I was wrong. He was worse than Jose and his friends.

They all simply had one task given to them, one aim to be completed. They didn't talk it made a meal out of it.

But Cody did. Which only meant he was more damaged than Jose was.

His yellow band of Senior year only confirmed my doubts.

Seniors where the worst.

"Listen Cody." I tried in a calm voice.

"You don't have to do this. You don't have to listen to them. We could help you. We can save you from this. You don't have to be their slave anymore."

His eyes flashed. "I'm not their slave. I'm their devotee, you stupid girl."

Wait. What?

Devotee?

"I do what they tell me to do without fail. Whether it is fucking a new student, spying in the race every time, killing whoever tries to escape it or becoming the hurdle of a level. So yes I'm the hurdle of this level. You'll have to kill me to win this or I'll kill you."

He took up his fighting stance as he waited for us to make our decision.

He said he had raped students. God knows how many.

He also said he prevented anyone from escaping the race... that meant he was the one to kill Stupid Boy.

Christopher had been right, it was one of us. But Cody was controlled by BMHS.

He said he was a _devotee_.

God! How badly was he conditioned?

This was truly the worst level.

Landslides and lightening were just a warm up.

But this? Killing one of our own consciously?

When Kyle and Christopher had fought, it was purely survival. Kyle died because of those trees, Christopher hadn't killed him.

But now Brooke expected us to be killers too. There was no conditioning for us, no blanking of mind.

We have to do it with our clear conscience.

Their aim was to destroy us forever, which would certainly work here if we killed him.

"Cody we're three. You're just one think again." Christopher warned him.

"You're right." Cody said.

Then before anyone could blink, he had a long chain out of his hands whose other end was thrown at me and coiled around my neck.

Breathing became suddenly hard.

My hands flew up instinctively but Cody dragged me forward, making me fall on the ground at his feet.

The pain that came with the impact of my knees slamming down, made me lose my grip on my weapons.

The next instant, he wrenched me up by my hair and turned me with my back against his front to face Christopher and Lucy.

He gripped both the ends of the chain and pulled it forward till I was suffocating.

"Now it seems even." Cody hid himself behind my flailing body all the while pulling the chain.

"Let her go!" Christopher screamed, coming at us.

Cody pushed me ahead, making me smash with Christopher and cause both of to lose our balance.

"Mia.." I heard Lucy's shriek as she tried to reach for us but Cody caught up with her and kicked at my back at the same time.

The force sent us stumbling towards the stairs and we fell down.

We both acted on instinct and our love for each other.

Just as the first step hit us, Christopher had himself wrapped around my body while I had my legs around his spine and hands around his head.

Together we fell down the flight.

The sharp stairs cut into my body again and again. Hitting my legs, my thighs, my back, my head, my hands.

Some parts were protected by Christopher, some were not.

The steps where we landed at our sides hurt the most for both of us.

The hard pain of landing, the whooshing of air again and again from within us, the damage to our body, it was all too much till my body gave up finally.

My eyes fluttered shut, my mind demanded peace as we rolled down to our potential death.

 **DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO HAVE CHRISTIAN BACK IN THE STORY ASAP.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	21. Anastasia 21

**It's the FINAL LEVEL of Pinnacle Games.**

 **How do ya feel?**

 **Well this chapter turned out to be long so I broke it into two. (Chapter 20 and 21)**

 **But don't worry I'm posting both of them together ;)**

 **CHRISTIAN IS COMING BACK!**

 **Say your goodbyes to Christopher though. (For now!)**

 **NOTE : I WANT AT LEAST 25 REVIEWS FOR THE TWO CHAPTERS I'M POSTING.**

 **Till then you'll have to wait for Christian.**

 **STOP! STOP! STOP!**

 **Before you go ahead please make a note of it that there are certain conversations in this chapters that are a repeat from chapter 5 and 6. I request you all not to skip them because they are slightly different in this chapter. (Especially Ana and Mia's)**

 **CHAPTER 21**

 **The End**

COLD WATER SPUTTERED ON me making me squeal in surprise.

That was how I woke up.

With hands tied behind the chair tightly in thick ropes.

My head felt heavy and my eyes took their own sweet time to open.

Every muscle of my body was howling.

My right knee felt tender when I moved my leg.

"Mia.." Christopher's sweet worried voice filled my ears, causing my rising panic to settle down a little.

I searched for him in the darkness, the room was dimly lit.

My eyes first founded Lucy and then him. We were all sitting in the same position, tied up.

Lucy had few scratches on her arms, her lip burst up and bleeding. Apart from that she looked alright.

If one excludes the way her body trembled with fear.

Christopher was in much worse shape.

The cut above his eyebrow was bleeding, one side of his face swollen, arms and legs bleeding.

I had no doubt he might have some internal injuries too.

Falling down from steps was no joke.

Yet his eyes were filled with relief. The small smile told me he was happy to see me well and alive.

At least as much well and alive as I could be in the given circumstances.

A brutal slap to my face directed my face away from Christopher towards Cody who was still holding a bucket in his hands.

I hated cold water. From always.

He drenched me once more before setting it down.

"Since you're all awake now, I'll begin it."

"Begin what?" I asked. I shouldn't have opened my mouth.

Big mistake.

Because the answer was once I had never expected in a million year.

"First kill Lucy, make Mia watch, then kill her and make Christopher watch. Then kill him too."

I stilled.

My breath stopped. So did my heartbeats.

He couldn't mean that.

But he did.

Oh God. No!

"Or, kill Lucy make Mia watch then kill Christopher and make Mia watch that too then leave her here to starve."

He spoke like it wasn't his own words. Like someone was telling him what to speak and he said it without thinking.

I being the stupid one, couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"What do you have against me?"

"The Brooke has. Not me. "

"What and why?"

"You broke all the rules. You didn't drink when Marks told you to. He found out that stained napkin later, by the way. You escaped your first torture. You talked to your roommate. You stood up against the Headmaster at the Glean Day in front of the whole school. You're not even supposed to be in the Brooke."

"What does that mean? You were the one who invited me to study here."

"We know you're not Mia Fields."

My blood ran cold. How could they possibly know that?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Even I could hear the lie in my voice.

"You were being researched since the Glean Day when you questioned headmaster. Turns out Mia Fields never came to Alaska, she had shifted to L.A."

I tried to change the direction of the topic. Also to distract him.

"So your headmaster asks if anyone has any questions and if I do then I am the defiant? How fucking hypocritical can you all be?"

"It was rhetorical question he asked. You should've understood it. No else spoke except you, did they?"

I didn't answer him. Not because I had a reply but because I was busy feeling the knots at my wish through my fingers.

People say technology is evil but it is a necessary evil.

We just don't know how to take advantage of it.

While other teens were busy watching Vampire Diaries or Pretty Little Liars on internet, I learned a lot of skills from YouTube.

One of them was How To Untie A Critical Rope Knot.

I just prayed to whatever God existed, if he existed and was watching us, that Cody had tied only thrice.

Not more than that.

I could flick open a single knot in mere seconds. A double knot in record time of fifty-six seconds, and a triple knot in two-and-half minutes.

But beyond that, my skill was useless.

It was only a mindless activity I had taken up to.

I had dreamt of joining Girl Scout one day but that dream died along with my parents.

Cody came at me with a switch blade in his hand. My blade.

"I'm ordered to take one last information from you before I start with this."

"If you'll kill us all, you'll have no winner, no survivor."

He smirked. His eyes glowing with evil.

"There has never been a winner or a survivor Miss Fields, or shall I even call you that?"

"What do you mean?" My voice came out barely audible.

Or at least I couldn't hear it over the frightened pounding of my heart.

My fingers froze from their attempt to untie the rope.

"I mean that no had ever won the Pinnacle Race before. They are not meant to be won. It's just a lesson for those who don't submit in BMHS. Those students are brought here to die in the worst ways."

What. The. Fuck.

Those bloody bastards!

It was all a ploy. To kill us.

Christopher had said there was no Golden Lotus here. Just the glass box.

Which was blank.

I needed to get free. Find a way to subdue this dumb puppet.

Help Christopher and Lucy, possibly Brandon and Jose too if they were still alive.

We had to find an escape.

"So you mean to say, there is no way out?"

"There is. The Final Golden Lotus. Winner gets to be back home safely."

My eyes widened in shock. My fingers worked faster.

"But you just said no one was meant to win the Race."

"Yes but I didn't say there no way of winning. BMHS always gives one chance."

Oh! How grateful of them!

"Enough questions Miss Fields. It's my turn now. I'm ordered to gain information through whatever means necessary."

One look at the blade in his hand and I had no doubt about that.

One knot was gone. Two more to go.

So I nodded to keep him distracted.

"I just have two questions. First, how and when you got to know about the Brooke?"

I huffed.

"Mia Fields, my friend. Three weeks before the Spring Break."

He nodded. Pleased with me being so cooperative.

The next question he asked didn't have the same conclusion.

"Second, who was the student who saved you from the First Lesson?"

"First Lesson?"

"Your rape Miss Fields."

They called it as First Lesson? Jesus Christ! How sick can anyone be?

"I won't ask again. Who saved you from the rape? Which student had the audacity to go against the rules like that?"

I didn't answer him.

I couldn't.

My lips pressed into a tight line and my eyes flashed at him.

To taunt him more, I lifted my chin up so that he could see it clearly that I won't answer him.

He lifted the knife up stabbed at my bicep.

My mouth couldn't hold back the wretched scream.

Tears fell down my eyes, a bile came up to my throat.

My body lifted from the chair, desperate to get away from him But the rope held me down.

"I'll ask you again, who it was?"

He waited for five seconds before he went to stab the other bicep.

"It was me!" Christopher yelled in a hoarse voice. I realized he had been screaming along with me.

"It was me." He yelled again frantically, causing Cody to stop from stabbing me.

His eyes were shining with rage and worry and concern and anger and love.

His face had a painful expression in it as if he was the one who was stabbed.

My fingers began to work again. Although my wounded arm protested the movements, I worked through the pain.

"You're lying. You would say anything to save her." Cody said to Christopher.

"Exactly. I would say anything, do anything to save her. Including breaking you filthy nonsense rules of sticking to owns business. Well guess what? She's my fucking business! And you cocksucking motherfuckers don't get to harm her."

Christopher was shouting with abandon by the end of his speech.

If his aim was to get Cody's attention away from me, he had certainly succeeded.

"Very well then. I would let them know that the culprit is being punished here only. They don't need to worry back at BMHS. I'll get back to you Mr. Grey."

He picked up his axe and went to Lucy who was crying and scrambling away. She froze when saw him approaching.

No!

Two knots down. One to go.

He picked the axe up high in the air.

My binds came out free.

It all happened in slow motion. The picture embedded in my heart, darkening my soul forever.

I stood up and ran to him.

His hand with the axe came down.

I grabbed the sword as I sprinted forward. My mind already knew it was too late, but I refused to accept it.

The axe landed straight across Lucy's head.

Turning her body headless.

He chopped her head off.

From the body.

The blood gushed of the hollow throat.

Landing on us just as I reached behind him and stabbed him with his own sword.

My hands buried the blade into his back with such force that the end of the sword came out from his chest.

He gasped breathlessly as he fell to the ground.

Right next the Lucy's headless body.

He looked at me in horror as took his last breath and died.

He died.

Because he was killed.

I

Had

Killed

Cody.

I. Was. A. Murderer.

A monster.

Just like monsters at the Brooke.

I was one of them now.

My legs gave out. I fell with a thud.

"Mia." Christopher called out to me but it landed on deaf ears.

"Babe, look at me."

I couldn't. My eyes were frozen. Never moving, never blinking.

It remained focused on Cody's open eyes and Lucy's body.

Until it all sank into me.

Lucy was dead.

And so was her killer.

Because I had killed him.

He was just a victim like us.

And his stolen his life. I had killed him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed.

My mouth won't shut down.

My eyes won't move away from my murder.

My body won't stop trembling and shaking.

My heart won't start beating again.

My soul won't be free of this darkness ever.

So I continued to scream.

For the loss of my best friend. My innocence. My soul. My victory.

I had lost it all.

Including myself.

"No no no no no! NOO! LUCYYY!"

Strong arms captured me but for the first time, I shrank away from them.

I didn't deserve to be comforted.

I didn't deserve to be near Christopher.

I was a monster. A killer. A murderer.

I have killed them all.

They would be alive if I hadn't led them to Level One that day.

They would've been alive if I had saved them. If I had been strong enough to save them.

"I killed him! I killed them all! I did it! I'm a monster!"

I lost everything.

Finally my mind too.

I lost it completely.

Christopher came at me again and I dodged away from his touch again.

He called out to me in patient soothing tones but I continued to scream.

My limbs went into every direction, I crawled back and forth.

Christopher tried to calm me. But I wouldn't listen to him.

He needed to listen to me.

"Stay away from me! I'm a monster! I'll kill you too! Stay away! I killed them all! I did it!"

After few more tries when soft way didn't work. Christopher tried the hard way.

He jumped on me, knocking my back to the floor.

His body covered mine as his hands tightly held my wrists up at my head and his legs wrapped around mine to immobilize them.

His mouth came down on my lips harshly.

Christopher kissed me without forgiveness, without mercy.

The ruthless kiss assaulted me, punishing me for all my wrong deeds just before it turned calm, sweet, tender, soft and loving.

My heart wept with my eyes as his tongue dived into mine. Providing me forgiveness, absolution.

"I want to die." I murmured against his lips.

"You can't. I won't allow you to. You're stronger than this."

"I deserve it."

"No you don't. You saved me. Time and time again. You saved Jose, you saved others too. You're not a monster. You ended one. You're my hero. You're everyone's hero Mia."

His words were just what I needed to hear.

Christopher always knew what to say.

New tears of gratitude spilled down my cheeks. Christopher locked at each one of them with such tenderness, it tightened my chest.

I kissed him again. Both if tasting the salty tears that came along from me.

He cradled my head in his hand and devoured my mouth.

"I love you. So you don't get to leave me. Got it?"

I nodded.

"Say it."

"Yes. I won't leave you. I love you, Christopher."

He tore a part of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it tightly around my forgotten bleeding arm.

I didn't even feel the pain. My mind was blank with horror.

Blank.

I was really turning into them.

"Come on we need to end this." Christopher said as he helped me up.

He looked me in the eyes as he captured my face into his hands, forcing me to maintain eye contact with him.

"We're stepping out of this room. Don't look anywhere but at me, okay?"

I nodded.

I knew why he said that.

He must have seen it lying somewhere and didn't want me to see it.

Lucy's disabled head.

I was sure if it caught my eye, I'll lose it again.

So I kept to my word, never looking away from Christopher as we walked out hand in hand.

The thunder bolt echoed in the sky as the lightning continued to strike outside.

A storm was approaching. No doubt to end it all.

So we have to end it first.

We need to reach to the top floor and take the Final Golden Lotus.

Christopher remained patient. Never once losing his calm as we climbed the stairs.

We reached the fifteenth floor. I noticed it was all vacant.

Except one glass door at the end of the corner. It was a big door situated just at the end of the floor.

In the balcony I realized.

Was there a reason for this to be here?

I was tired of finding all the answers.

I just wanted this to end.

The means of ending The Pinnacle Race caught my eye next.

It was sitting in the center of the room.

In the glass box.

I understood the covering for it now.

The golden shimmering Lotus was levitating in the middle of the small cubical box, floating freely.

It looked so fragile that u was sure touching it would destroy it.

Which was why the rules said all the survivors had to touch it together at once to win.

It made sense now.

But as I looked at it a series of thoughts ran through me.

If I touched this now, I could go home. I and Christopher both could.

We may never see each other again. I didn't know where he lived and he didn't even know my real name.

Nonetheless we both would be away from this nightmare.

I would go back to Iowa.

Living with Aunt Sara, I would be safe.

 _Safe_.

But what about others?

What about Gracie? Kyle? Wendy? Angela? Garrett? Emily? Brandon? Jose?

What about all those who had died here or those stuck in BMHS? They would never be safe.

What about Lucy?

 _Lucy!_

She was my best friend here. She always helped me. Her intelligent eyes observed everything. Her teasings always lightened the tended air.

She was no more.

She died!

Because of The Brooke.

Because of BMHS.

Because of The Pinnacle Race.

And I had failed to protect her.

I didn't deserve to win this.

It was a joke.

I was here claiming the winning trophy, on behalf of my dead friends.

The Brooke has destroyed us. Killed us.

All for what? This stupid Golden Lotus?

Rage filled me.

All I could see was red. And golden.

Golden was the Lotus, the reactant. Red was my anger, the reaction.

And my reaction was to lounge on the Golden Lotus box with my red anger, pick it up and crash it down on the floor.

"Mia wait!"

But it was too late.

The glass shattered into tiny millions of pieces.

Just like my heart had at Lucy's death.

The Lotus flapped and floated around the broken glass.

Like a fish dying without water.

Then it stilled and the petals fell away like autumn leaves, destroying the fragile prizes possession of The Brooke.

It felt good for about ten seconds succeeded by the realization of what I had done.

I had destroyed our last chance of surviving.

Not only had I doomed myself but Christopher too.

I had killed him too.

Right on cue, the ground beneath us trembled violently. The whole building vibrated and shook.

An earthquake.

The destroying of the Golden Lotus had caused the earthquakes.

I don't know why or how by I knew I was right.

Soon the revolving blades of helicopter came into hearing.

They were coming.

So was the end.

Our The End.

It wasn't really that shocking.

I knew the end was coming but I had never anticipated it being like this.

I glanced at my surroundings to see the chaos everywhere.

We should be running for our lives. But I knew it was a vain attempt. Nothing could be done now.

And I was to blame for everyone's death. I was the reason who was dying along with them now.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Might as well start counting them now.

 _That's it. I'm going to die now._

Even though this realization was shocking enough, it wasn't me who I felt fear for.

It was him.

He didn't deserve this. He wasn't supposed to be here, to die with me. Because of me.

I looked into his eyes.

Those sky blue eyes that were eclipsed by deep worried grey clouds.

I put those clouds in there. It was because of me that those beautiful eyes held such a heart shattering emotion before dying.

He was about to die here with me and I couldn't do anything to prevent it.

I was a pathetic failure.

I thought that when I would win, when I'll finally overcome them, it would be the happiest moment of my life.

Turned out it was the saddest.

Yes, all the defiance and all the pain were worth it. Worth defeating _them._

I didn't care about my life. I was prepared to die if I had to make that sacrifice.

But I wasn't prepared to sacrifice _him_.

He was far more worth than all this mess. Way much more.

If I'd realized his life was on the line, I would have immediately sufficed. I would have yielded and handed myself to them.

I wouldn't have cared about the world or the need to protect others.

Because he was my world.

Which now I was taking my world along with me to rot in hell.

I was the most selfish person ever.

I didn't know what to say, how any apology in the world could lighten the blow of what I'd done.

How I'd endangered his life. How I'd killed him.

Yes, I killed him.

For that; I deserved worse than burning in fire of hell for that.

He walked over to me. His eyes all over my face that was filled with remorse.

But he wasn't paying attention to my expressions.

His gaze raked over my forehead, my cheekbones, my eyes, nose and at last my lips.

He was scanning my features, memorizing them for one last time. I knew he was doing that because I was doing the same.

My own eyes roamed over his impeccable face.

Broad forehead, fascinating eyes, hard structured square jaw yet gentle cheeks and immensely soft, soft lips.

My stare zeroed on those lips.

I wanted to kiss those lips. Taste them against mine for the last time.

Imprint the memory of how soft they feel as I die.

I wanted to blow my last breathe inside those lips. Maybe somehow that would help him survive.

Maybe he was thinking the same. I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to kiss me too.

 _What had I ever done to deserve this man? To deserve his love?_

Absolutely nothing.

In fact, I'd done everything _not_ to deserve him. He should hate me.

He should be cursing me every bad word in every possible language, not wanting to kiss me.  
But that was him, no matter what I did he loved me.

He took me into his arms and I went to him like a moth to flame.

I couldn't get enough of him no matter how closely I held him, neither could he.

"I- I'm so s-sor" I couldn't complete my sentence. I burst into tears.

"Shh..." Christopher whispered soothingly.

"Listen to me Mia. I am proud of you. You are the strongest and most amazing person in the world. You have nothing to be sorry for, okay?"

I couldn't believe this person. How could he be so forgiving knowing what I have brought him into?

"I love you Christopher."

He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine for the last time. He kisses were soft and gentle and remorseful.

 _Why would he have any remorse?_

I desperately kiss him back, relishing the texture of lips against mine.

"I love you Mia." He murmured as he broke our kiss.

"I'll live in you forever, just like you'll live in me."

I didn't really get what he was trying to say. He said it in an odd way. It made me suspicious. He was up to something.

"What do you mean Christopher?"

He kissed me softly one more time.

"I'm sorry Mia. I really am sorry."

I tasted tears on my lips but this time they aren't mine. They were his.

Screw suspicion, I was starting to get worried. Extremely worried.

"Christopher?"

He shut his eyes in frustration. He was battling something within him.

When he opened his eyes they were filled with determination.

Though he still looked conflicted. I could tell whatever decision he had made, it wasn't an easy one.

"Try not to forget me."

Before I could respond, he lifted me up so swiftly that all I could do was gasp loudly.

Without warning I was being thrown into the air.

I tried to scream but no voice came from my throat. It felt like I was truly flying, but I knew better. I wasn't flying, I was falling.

Then I fell.

I landed painfully hard on a solid steel ground.

Wind knocked out of my lungs, leaving me breathless momentarily. Tears sprang to my eyes at the impact of my fall.

When I was finally able to absorb my surrounding, I saw that I as in a cylindrical cage. More like a container.

Floor and the ceilings were made of steel while the glass circular wall clearly showed the outdoors.

A sharp deep mechanic sound pierced through the chaos, indicating some kind of buzzer being pressed.

Just as soon as the sound ended, I saw notices a glass door in my cage that I didn't see before. A glass door that was rapidly sliding, closing down the only exit.

My unnatural instincts kicked in and I rushed towards the door.

But the injury in left leg slowed me down.

Exactly seven seconds before I reached the doors I knew I couldn't make it.

Five seconds later the door slammed shut, trapping me in.

"Noooooo!" I shouted hysterically.

Closed spaces never felt comfortable. They always seemed to suffocate me.

I banged on the glasses in a failed attempt to break them. They were thicker than the human skull.

"No, No, No. NOOO!" I turned to my right to try for another spot.

Maybe I would find some weak side where the glass could be easily broken from.

But as I turned, I froze to ground when I saw Christopher.

He was watching me. He saw me struggling with hard glassy eyes and set jaw.

Yet he didn't help me.

His hand were laid on a big large red button. I realized he was the one who trapped me here.

Betrayal.

I don't know why but betrayal was the first feeling that seized through me after seeing him.

I knew I deserved this. After all I was the reason his life was in danger in danger now. They would soon come to get us.

So why was he doing this? Did he want to kill me himself? Perhaps in a more torturous and painful way?

Or maybe he was doing me a favor. Maybe he would make my death quick and painless.

I should be bracing myself for whatever he was planning to do to me yet it freaked me out.

I couldn't stop shaking. His face remained stoic. I couldn't guess anymore what he was thinking. I have to trust my instincts now. Or maybe trust him.

But what he did next broke my heart a thousand times.

I wasn't able to believe it. I refused to believe what was happening in front of my eyes.

He walked away.

He

was

walking

away.

He. Walked. Away. From. Me.

"Noooooo!" I screamed so high, my voice was turning sore. "Don't leave me! Please don't leave me."

Then, all of sudden the ground opened up beneath me and I was falling down.

I was falling down, trapped in a container.

The rapid pull of gravity made me bounce all the way in the cage.

My back, my legs, my arms, my chest, every part of me was screaming in pain every time they came in contact with solid of glass or steel side of the container.

I was suffocating. The pain made it unbearable for me to let out even a single breath.

My lungs begged for the air. I realized I was dying.

My mouth opened to let out a blood curling scream...

...

And it got stuck in my throat as I landed upon the ground.

Surprisingly the glass didn't break but it surely didn't lessen the force of impact I suffered through.

My head banged against the hard glass and I fainted once again.

I should start keeping a record now. Who knew I could be the winner of Guinness World Record?

That way, at least I could be winner of something.

I WAS SO TIRED as I opened my eyes.

The sweat covering my face felt recent but old at the same time.

My bed where I was sprawled on left familiar but unfamiliar at same time.

My back was uncomfortable against the soft mattress. As if it was used to fall asleep on hard surfaces.

Sleeping bags. Somewhere deep down I missed sleeping bags.

How long had it been since we camped last?

Before my parents died.

I could ask Mia to come with me. She would never say no to me for an adventurous trip.

But at the same time I felt frightened too. I was scared of what?

Adventure camps? Sleeping bags?

Guess the heat had totally screwed with my mid today.

I blamed it on Mia.

She shouldn't have missed the practice today.

Because of her I had to take on extra work. I was so tired. I wanted to sleep.

But knowing Mia since grade two, I figured she wouldn't let me while she was here.

Right on cue, she started speaking again. Disrupting the much needed silence and sleep.

"You look awful" she stated. I snorted at her comment.

"Thanks for letting the vice-captain take the charge today." I replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. You won't hold onto it if you knew why I was here."

I ignored her reply. "Why didn't you come today? You know if you keep doing that, you'll be kicked out of the team."

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm leaving anyway."

"You didn't have to remind me that. " I snapped at her.

I didn't want to think about her leaving me.

That was the second worst thing happening in my life. The worst was losing my parents.

Wait was?

I don't know why but I suddenly felt like my parents death was not the worst thing happened to me.

It was... something else?

But what?

I couldn't... remember? That was strange.

I felt funny.

Like before I had closed my eyes I was whole and now I'm not.

Did I get heat-stroked?

Mia started speaking again. Demanding my attention.

"Alright I'm sorry. I'm sad too for leaving you." She said.

"You don't look very sad." I pointed out.

She grinned giving me a mysterious look. "That's because I've got a great, great news for you."

"What is it?"

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it. Looking confused all of sudden.

She opened again and closed it again.

Her brows narrowed in concentration.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"I guess I forgot what good news I had for you."

I laughed. "Wow! Typical Mi-mi."

"Hey don't call me that. I hate that nickname."

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"It's strange. I was so excited, I knew what I had to say to you and I just suddenly forgot."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Like I said. Typical Mia."

"Ugh. Will you stop calling me that? "

"Why? I like it."

It felt extremely familiar to my ears. Like it was my name once.

I suddenly wished for someone to call me Mia.

Jesus, what was wrong me today?

"ANASTASIA!" Mia screamed. I turned at her.

"Did you go deaf? I was calling your name from past thirty seconds. Your name is Anastasia right?"

Her question was meant to e sarcastic but it seemed anything but that to me.

I was Anastasia Steele.

But it just seemed vaguely familiar to me.

"Ugh. I think I'm not feeling well."

"Okay. Let's go out for a run. It will clear your head." She said.

Run?

"I don't want to run."

I felt scared of running.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Since when?"

"Since now. Let me sleep. And tell me if you remember your good news."

"Will do. Now come to mommy." She said as she snuggled around me and we rested in our bed.

She always cuddled me when we slept together but that day I wished for someone more muscular to cuddle me.

Someone warm and trusting and safe.

The next month Mia left for L.A. Leaving me alone forever.

She still hadn't remembered the good news she was supposed to give me.

* * *

 **Confused? Exactly what I had meant you to be ;)**

 **Keep reading ahead for all your answers.**

 **AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW IF YOU WANT CHRISTIAN TO COME BACK ASAP.**

 **REMEMBER - 25 REVIEWS FOR THESE TWO CHAPTERS.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	22. Christian 22

**Your reviews were so much fun! Some wild imagination you guys have. Sadly only one of them got close to the actual plot. But I loved each one of your theories.**

 **SO CHRISTIAN IS BACK!**

 **Enjoy reading XD**

 **Oh and btw, if you think this chapter would help you with the confusion... keep on dreaming XD (I'm a Christian Grey fan so naturally I'm the sadist and you all reading this story are masochists hahahaha!)**

 **Part - III**

 **REMEMBERING**

 _"You're the avalanche, one world away,_

 _My make believing, while I'm wide awake"_

 _\- Gabrielle Aplin ; Salvation_

 **CHAPTER 22**

 **Christian**

I SAT ON THE bed, stunned for moment.

 _What the fuck did just happen?_

Just when I thought things were going to be alright, fate had to fuck up with us.

I woke up with Anastasia screaming again.

She was repeating words like "No" and "Don't leave me."

I had no doubt she was dreaming about my twin brother again.

It made my jaw clench with anger at him for whatever the little shit did to her.

As far as I knew my brother, he would never harm a girl intentionally.

He was a good guy. Excluding our asshole-genes, that is.

So what could have he possibly done to Anastasia that made her this messed-up?

And where was he from past four years? Why had he ran away in the first place? Why didn't he tell me anything?

Whatever this insanity was going on, I refused to see Ana suffering again.

It was too unbearable for me to see her like this.

I scrambled on her bed and used the technique that was successful last time.

But before doing that, I braced myself in case she took me for Christopher again.

How fucked up was this that I was going to kiss the girl who dreamt of my twin brother every night?

Pretty fucked up I'd say.

But this was Anastasia.

I'd walk over fire for her. Getting my heart crushed was next to nothing.

So I bent down and took her sinful lips with my own.

Her response to me was immediate. As if she was dying for me to kiss her.

Truthfully, after the kiss we had shared this evening, I was dying for her kiss as well.

Which was why when she met head-on with my action, I plunged my tongue into her sweet mouth without missing a beat.

Her arms came around my neck and she kissed me back with same hunger.

My tongue twisted with hers, she moaned softly.

 _Jesus! I love that sound_.

"Ana" I growled.

Our hands were everywhere, ranging over each other's bodies, relishing the pleasurable touch.

I kissed her feminine jaw, licked and sucked at her flawless neck as my hands came to palm her dreamy tits.

"Ah!" She cried out.

At her raspy voice, my cock that was already standing to its full capacity, attempted to jump out of my boxers.

Next thing I knew she had taken off both of our shirts.

I took the opportunity to feel her soft breasts against my bare chest.

 _Fuck!_ It felt so good.

All my brain cells died and went to heaven. Yeah, that was right towards my cock.

Her hard nipples poked my skin, causing me to crush against her to feel more.

Anastasia welcomed me with more whimpers and cries that did wonders for my ego.

I found my way back to her mouth, kissing her like it was the first, last, millionth time I kissed her.

Her hesitant hands roamed all over my torso making me dizzy with the amount of blood flowing south.

"Christian please don't stop."

 _Thank fuck she said Christian._

"Wasn't planning to." I answered her honestly.

When it came to Ana, it was never less than honesty.

I needed this girl so badly.

And I didn't mean that just sexually.

I was obsessed with her every breath, every smile, every tear, every word, every-bloody-thing she did.

She was mine.

I was never letting her go.

I would save her, protect her from every god-damning nightmare.

I would make her forget it all, make sure she never gets away from my thoughts enough to dream about anything or anyone else.

My little wild cat mewled silently when I went to get the condom.

I almost chuckled at her desperation had I not been more desperate than her.

As soon as I got what I needed, I was flying back on her bed like a damn Superman.

That's what Ana did to me. Staying away from her for a second also was unacceptable.

I took a long moment to savor each and every curve of her bare body in my sight first.

She blushed furiously right under my gaze. Her flesh turned red and hot.

"You look lovely when you blush Ana." I said settling on top of her.

"I want to make every inch of you blush like that."

Without giving her a warning, I attacked with two of my fingers straight inside her warm wetness.

 _Fuck me! She was so tight. And so wet. For me_.

Anastasia cried out at my assault. Her body stiffening up.

"Shh... try to relax."

She complied, loosening herself as I worked her up.

Soon her needy soft moans filled the room.

My fingers increased their pace, exploring and stroking deep inside her as my thumb played with her swollen clit.

I couldn't look away from her gorgeous face as she battled against the intense pleasure.

I starting fucking her with my fingers faster. My thumb stroking her clit with more pressure.

She was so close. I could feel it.

"Let it go Anastasia. Let it go for me." I told her.

And that's what she did.

She let go and came, screaming out my name.

"Christiaaaaann!"

My chest bloomed with pride and hunger as she continued screaming in her bliss.

Then it all changed.

Suddenly her screamed turned from pleasant to horrific.

She was crying out no longer in bliss but agonizing.

Her body shook not from need but fear.

"Noooo! Nooo! Please, please no- argghhh."

I grabbed in her arms when she struggled against me. Her eyes still shut, tears leaking down from her.

"Anastasia! Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?"

She didn't answer me.

Because she didn't listen to me.

She was once again in her horror-land.

Except that this time it wasn't a nightmare.

Hell, it wasn't even a panic attack like the one she had in the park this morning.

This was something else.

She was right here enjoying with me before I lost her.

Her shrieks were so raw with pain, it made my hear heart.

"Ana, Ana wake up." I shook her lightly at first then roughly.

She was crying to let her go. To not do this to her.

Who the fuck hurt her like that?

I wanted to know so that I could chop his dick off before murdering him in most petrifying ways.

But I couldn't let my anger take control of me here. Ana needed me.

And I would always be there for her. No matter what.

Even when she was so drowned up in her misery to notice me just beside her, I would never leave her alone.

I won't repeat by brother's mistake.

Grabbing the covers from my bed, I wrapped it around her and took her in my arms.

Caging her, making sure she was at least physically safe with me.

Had I harmed her in some way? Hurt her? Triggered her panic somehow?

She was bawling in agony.

It wrenched me apart seeing her like that and not able to do anything.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Ana. Come back to me babe."

My ranting was useless as always, but I couldn't do anything else.

I stayed with her for a long time, just sitting there. Suffering with her.

Whatever was wrong with her, it was scaring me.

I didn't want to lose her in anyway. Not when I just had the chance to have her.

Our story was just beginning. I wouldn't let anyone or anything end it.

Anastasia hiccupped, jumping in my hold.

"It's alright. You're safe babe. It's alright. You're safe. You're safe." I continued to soothe her.

Suddenly, she wrapped her limbs around me and clung on as tightly as she could.

Naturally, I pulled her closer to me.

 _Mine!_

I would keep her in my arms forever. Make her feel safe, protecting her. Fighting her demons for her.

More than that, I wanted to touch her. To comfort her, kiss her pain away.

 _She freaked at your touch. Look what it did to her._

 _"_ You're safe Ana. I'm sorry. I am sorry babe. I swear I won't touch you. I am so very sorry"

I repeated again and again.

She cringed. Away from me.

 _Why does it feel like she just shot me with a gun?_

"Christian, I'm sorry for acting like this. I-"

"Don't!" I cut her off angrily.

"Don't ever apologize. You're the most amazing person in this world and you've nothing to be sorry for. You got that?"

I was used to read her like an open book but at that moment I couldn't decipher a single emotion than ran on her face.

Anastasia looked at the clock. She seemed shocked to see the day had started.

"How long... how long have I been, uh, like this?" She asked.

"More than an hour or so."

She turned back to me. Bringing her hands gently on my face, she leaned to down to kiss me softly.

I was never given any greater means of mercy than this before.

Her short kiss shot up a relief inside me so intense it was almost painful.

"It wasn't your fault C." she said when she pulled back.

"But it won't be like this anymore. I'll make it alright. I'll fight to bring myself back. I'll fight to bring Christopher back. Your brother will be back, C."

 _What is she talking about?_

Saying that, she jumped to the closet as she wore a blue dress.

Had I not been drowned into so much confusion, I would've definitely paid more attention to her bare skin and naked curved as she dressed right in front of me.

Who was I kidding? I still paid enough attention enjoying the blessed view.

Then she turned back to me.

I looked at her trying to understand.

Not minutes ago she was screaming and crying, now she was all determined, having a huge smile on her face.

But it didn't reach her eyes.

Suddenly, Anastasia looked older. Like she had aged by years just in minutes after her tantrum.

She was still the most beautiful girl ever.

And I trusted her. Whatever was going on, she had to know that I had her back.

"How?" I finally asked.

She came to me, giving me another chaste kiss on my mouth.

"I need to find Jose."

With that she shot up and ran straight to the door before I could respond.

So again I asked myself...

What. The. Fuck. Did. Just. Happen?

Unfortunately, the only person to answer me was already out of the room.  
Then what was I doing sitting here like an idiot?

I shook myself and wore my clothes back before going in search for her.

"GUYS DID YOU see Ana?" I asked three of my fellow soccer teammates who happened to come into my view.

It had been fifteen minutes since I was looking for her.

Every possible place where she might be was found empty.

I was getting frustrated.

Something wasn't right. I could feel it.

My inner voice was begging me to go to her.

"What's the matter, _C_?" One of them taunted.

"Having trouble in paradise, _C_?"

I groaned. "Don't call me that."

"Why not?"

Because Anastasia called me that. No one else had the right to use it.

"What does C means anyway? Cocksucker?" They burst out laughing on their own joke.

I had to fist my hands behind my back to keep them from strangling these faggots.

"Guys I'm serious. This is important. So please tell me if you have seen her."

Thankfully one of them noticed my grim mood and answered me.

"She was looking for Jose. I told her to find him in the locker room."

I thanked him and took off.

When I reached there, I let out a relieved breath to see her.

But then I noticed Jack talking to her while Jose stood behind her sweating and wide eyed.

I also noticed how scared Ana looked. Her skin went pale, her mouth opened in a wide gape.

Something was going on. I couldn't ignore the sturdy feeling rising deep inside me.

"Run Anastasia!" Jose suddenly screamed at her.

Just as she turned away, Jack brought up a steel rod out of nowhere and hit her on the head.

He fucking hit her.

No!

My heart lurched to my throat.

"Anastasia!" I screamed. She fell unconscious on the floor.

I ran with murder on my mind.

People stopped walking, gathering around the scene. They looked at her in confusion, not understanding what happened.

None of the fucking spectators went to help her.

Why were they standing like statues? Why no one went to her?

Jack looked at her with a satisfied smirk that I was about to cut out of his face.

His smile disappeared when he got a good look at her unconscious form. He cursed about something.

He kicked Jose away then raised his rod once again to hit her.

He won't get so lucky this time.

I jumped in between him and Ana, shielding her with my body. Protecting her just like I'd promised to, only too late.

Not anymore. I vowed.

My hand stopped the rod from coming down while my other hand punched Jack in the face.

I'd sworn to wipe off his smirk, hadn't I?

He stumbled back from the unexpected blow.

Another blow from my combusting fury and he went down.

I gripped his rod in my hands.

This was what harmed my Ana. This piece of shit was what he used to hurt her.

My body wouldn't stop trembling as every emotion went on hyper-drive. I wanted to kill him for hurting what's mine.

Without hesitation, I smacked him on the head with his own weapon.

 _Smash!_

The soft sound of bones cracking in his skull made me feel just a little better.

He cried out in pain. His head burst open like Pandora box.

Before I could attack him further, he disappeared.

He disappeared? Just like that? In fucking thin air?

I couldn't believe my eyes. He was here just a second again and now he wasn't.

So was the weapon in my hand.

His weapon.

It was gripped tightly in my hand as I thrived to end him but now my hand was curled around nothing but air.

What the fuck did just happen?

"Christian!"

Jose's voice dragged me away from the confusion inside me.

I turned to look at him... And my heart shattered at the sight I saw.

Ana was unconscious, lying in the pool of blood streaming out of her head.

I refused the scene to sink in my sight.

My skin wouldn't stop crawling as I slumped on my knees next to her. Her closed eyes made my heart spontaneously exploded into shards.

I'd never felt this way before. So weak. So afraid. So helpless.

Her pain was as palpable as my fear for her.

"Ana..." I called out gently.

She didn't respond to me.

She never responded to me!

Even when drifting in her nightmares, or living in her darkness.

Why did she have to be so stubborn?

"Ana. Wake up babe." I shook her slightly.

"Christian, we need to get her to the hospital." Jose spoke too calmly.  
Like he talking to wounded wild animal who could explode any minute now.

He was damn fucking right about that.

I carefully took her in my arms. It was the only place I trusted her to be safe.

Pressing my hand on her injury to keep the bleeding steady, I spoke to Jose. Never moving my eyes away from her face.

"Call an ambulance." I told him, trying my best to stay in control.

"It would take too much time for ambulance to come and take her back to hospital. We need to drive her there. Fast."

He was right.

The tightness around my throat squeezed harder as I looked at the unconscious woman in my arms.

Blood oozed through the wound down her face, and I would never be able to erase the image of her matted bloody hair and blood spattered in her face.

I needed for her to wake up, dammit!

I needed to know she was fine. That we could survive this.

"Bring her outside. I'm taking my car out." Jose said as he stood up and ran.

"Stay strong for me Ana. Fight it."

If anything happened to her... I couldn't lose her. I couldn't picture what I would do.

The possibility of me being without her didn't exist.

It wasn't just her alone. It was me and her. _We_ were hurt.

Her pain was mine, her injuries were mine. We would go through this together.

I lifted her light weight in my arms and ran outdoors.

Going as fast as I could while being careful to jostle her head too much.

People around us paused to watch.

I didn't give a fuck about them.

They just stood there like idiots while the motherfucker had attacked my Ana.

They could all go and rot in hell.

The moment I stepped into the sunlight, I spotted Jose waving to us from his car.

Hoisting Ana higher in my arms so that her head rested against my shoulder, I raced to it.

Once we were inside with the doors closed, Jose skidded the wheels and we flew away.

It comforted me a little that I was not the only one who understood the urgency of the situation.

Jose and I didn't speak. We operated without words on pure adrenaline.

He sped through the morning traffic, breaking all rules where as I kept shaking Ana.

"Baby please wake up. Open your eyes for me. Please, please, please."

It was at that moment I realized I was crying.

Not just crying, I was sobbing in a state of hysterical helplessness.

I had never cried. Ever.

But seeing Anastasia so helpless... I couldn't even... I didn't know what to fucking do.

I pressed my face to hers, kissing her clammy forehead.

"Be the strong woman I know Ana. Fight it for me, for us. I promise I'll keep you safe. I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

My chest heaved jaggedly, pushing out an endless stream of tears.

"I can't live without you. You're the best fucking thing, babe. There's nobody like you."

I kissed her unresponsive lips, tasting a mixture of her blood and my salty tears.

It squeezed my heart tighter. She always responded to my kisses. Even during her nightmares too.

The car came to a screeching halt. In an instant I ran out of the car towards the sliding doors of the hospital.

"Somebody help!" I screamed running through the emergency room.

Anastasia's blood was dripping from her head, soaking through my shirt. Making the light blue color of it turn into deep violet.

"Sir, you need to us what happened to her." Like a flock of birds, they swept her away from me.

I stood there in shock, my hands marked with the blood of my girl.

"Sir? What happened?"

"Someone hit her with a steel rod at the back of her head."

"Do you know if she has any allergies or medication?" A nurse asked loudly.

But all I could see was them wheeling Anastasia behind some double doors.

I collapsed against the nearest wall in sheer devastation.

"I don't know." That was all I could muster up.

There was nothing I could do to save her at that point.

It was all up to fate now.

 _Fate_. That evil heartless bitch always came back for more.

"Are you family?"

"No. I'm her roommate. I don't know anything about her fucking medical issues. Stop talking to me and go save her!" I shouted at the nurse.

"Christian..." Jose's hands came to rest on my shoulders and my knees buckled for a moment. "It's going to be fine man." He said sympathetically.

But there was something more on his face. "Trust me. She's gonna be okay."

"How do you know that? And how do you know Ana? Tell me what's going on Jose. I know you're involved in whatever is happening with her these days."

His eyes widened but I continued to speak.

"You were there yesterday in the park, you saw what happened to her. Your face said it you knew what was wrong with her. This morning she said she'll fight to bring herself back and for that she needed to find you. So tell me what the fuck is going on?"

He battled for several long minutes before finally giving me the answer I was expecting.

"It's them. The Brooke."

I opened my mouth to question him further when I was interrupted.

"Christian?" Kate came and hugged me, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh my god, you're covered in blood. What happened? How is Ana?"

"They took her in the surgery. We don't know anything yet." Jose answered her on my behalf.

"What happened back there in the school? One moment she was talking to Jose, next was lying on the floor with her head bleeding?"

"It was Jack. He hit her, Kate." I hissed through my teeth, my jaw clenched with rage.

She looked at me in confusion "Jack who?"

"What you mean Jack who? Jack Hyde, Kate. The guy who has been sitting with us during lunch from past six weeks."

The exact timeline when Ana started having those dreams. I was beginning to connect the dots now.

This was much bigger than I thought.

Anastasia was not crazy, she never had a mental problem, never needed to seek help. Not mentally at least.

This was something else.

Something much more dangerous.

"Are you alright Christian? There was never any Jack with us."

Jose squeezed my shoulder, signaling me to stay quiet.

"It's fine Kate. He is just very distraught to see Ana like that. I'll get him something from the canteen. Would you mind staying here with Ana for a while?"

Kate nodded at him. "Yeah, sure. I'll let you guys know if I hear anything."

"Thanks. " Jose said then led me to the cafeteria.

"What the fuck did just happen?" That was all I had been asking the whole day. But now I needed answers.

"Jack Hyde never existed. He was sent by the Brooke to keep an eye on Ana. As soon as she remembered the truth he attacked her and vanished. No one would ever remember him, Christian. No one saw him hurting Anastasia."

Ana told me something like that happened to another girl. I remembered when we were researching yesterday, about the article she found online.

"If no one remembers him then how come you do?"

"Because I was also in the Brooke. So was Anastasia. And Christopher too."

"You need to tell me all about this. I don't care about the consequences. My brother is missing from years and my best friend is lying in surgery because of whatever the fuck Brooke is."

He nodded reluctantly.

Just as we sat down, something else struck to me.

"Wait, how do _I_ still remember Jack? Why did _I_ saw him? How was I able to hit him?"

Jose's expression told me the answer I should've known already.

No! No fucking way.

This was not happening to me.

But then Jose opened his mouth to confirm exactly what I didn't want to hear.

"Because you were there too, Christian."

 _No no no no no!_

"Where was I? What do you mean by 'there'?"

I already the answer before he replied.

"The Brooke"

 **So who all were having doubts about falling in love with Christian back after meeting Christopher? I mean come on guys look at him! How could anyone not love him? But then how could anyone not love Christopher too?**

 **Ugh I'm so confused between these two. Kind of reminds my conflict days over Damon and Stefan.**

 **So maybe we can love the GREY BROTHERS? Just like Salvatore Brothers? :P**

 **SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR CHRISTIAN BY REVIEWING THE STORY.**

 **NEXT CHAPTER UPDATE WOULD BE AFTER I GET 15 REVIEWS AT LEAST. YOU WANT IT FAST? THEN REVIEW FAST!**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	23. Anastasia 23

**By the speed of reviews I'm getting I think it's safe to say this story might finish up by the end of this month.(Since I'm already down to two chapters)**

 **Since this chapter is extremely short, I'm going to post two chapters together. (Again!)**

 **Now before you read, would anyone explain to me why is everyone jumping to the same conclusion of Christian and Christopher being the same guy?**

 **Christian did or does have twin, he is not having any dissociative disorder if that's what you're thinking. Also Jared said Christopher was there and so was Christian. Please keep that in mind.**

 **CHAPTER 23**

 **Anastasia**

I floated away in nothingness.

Time didn't matter here. Neither did victories or defiance or love.

Only one thing mattered.

One thing that was now my ally, my enemy. My paradise, my hell.

Darkness.

It had become my second home.

How many times have I been engulfed by its wings only to thrown back into the worst form of reality?

My lungs were heavy, my body on fire. I existed on the brink.

The brink of slipping far, far away and never coming back.

Why should I come back, for whom should I?

I had no one to fight for.

My parents were dead. My aunt didn't care about me. Mia had left me a long time back.

So who was worth fighting for?

I didn't get my answer.

But I did get one another thing.

In the darkness, one thing did come out to seek me.

Lifting the black away, brightening it into a unique shade of blue mixed with grey.

I recognized it from somewhere, but couldn't bring myself to spot it.

I knew it was sky.

Nothing could look more beautiful, more enchanting than this light blue color filled with perfect mixture of grey soothing clouds.

In another life, this color used to matter to me. A lot.

Why? I didn't know.

I just knew this color might be sole reason for wanting me to fight back.

Or it might help me vanish forever.

I wanted so much to vanish.

I wanted freedom from pain. Sanctuary from agony.

I wasn't strong enough to live with such soul-crushing torment.

But no matter how hot and flaming my pain became. No matter how unbearable it was, I couldn't die.

I refused to die. To vanish away.

I had made a promise to Beth. I intended to keep it now that I remembered it.

Didn't matter if it was too late.

I would still end them.

After that I could go to rest forever.

 **I know. It was extremely short. You still have to review though.**

 **Okay QUIZ QUESTION... How many times has Ana(Mia in The Brooke) fainted or had a near-death-scare? XD**

 **Let's see who answers correctly the fastest :P**

 **25 REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER 23 AND 24 TOGETHER.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	24. Christian 24

**FIRST THING : When I tell you guys to review, it's not because I'm fishing for compliments. I've always encouraged you all to be truthful in your comments. Why I ask you to review is so that I would know what you people have on your mind regarding my story and how you feel about it. If you're as much excited to read it as I am to write it. Your reviews encourage me to write more confidently.**

 **Make sure to answer the QUIZ QUESTION of previous chapter before reading ahead :P**

 **So this is a sad but no so sad announcement : This chapter is the third last chapter of The Brooke.**

 **The second book "The Cinder" would be most probably published around September or October, since I have yet to start writing it. I'll try my best to hurry the process though.**

 **Meanwhile I'll be taking over my other pending projects so you will still have some Christi-Ana fanfics to enjoy. ;)**

 **HOPEFULLY THIS CHAPTER WOULD PROVIDE YOU SOME MUCH NEEDED ANSWERS.**

 **CHAPTER 24**

 **Christian**

HOLY FUCKING MOTHER of mosses!

Jesus Christ!

Shit shit shit. SHIT!

What. The. Fuck.

 _Somebody please tell me this is a prank._

I don't know, I don't care. I just wanted someone to tell me it was all a stupid joke.

A sick fucking plot that Jose, Anastasia and Christopher were playing with me.

My brother had not been missing from past four years possibly stuck into the torture-land.

He must be somewhere here, watching me fall for his ploy.

Anastasia had not been to The Brooke. Her nightmares were not about it.

She was just a great actress. She couldn't have gone through so much and still have the courage to act all normal.

Jose was not the fucked up guy from the same place. He was just a hired help by Christopher and Anastasia.

I could've given everything to that person who would've told me all this.

That this was the truth and not what Jose had told me.

Because that version of the truth... it didn't really seem like the truth.

It was unbelievable. Horror-stricken. Gut-churning. Heart-wrenching.

But I couldn't avoid the obvious signs.

Four years of missing were no joke.

Especially when Christopher had just disappeared in thin air with no clue to anyone.

Anastasia's nightmare and panic attacks were no joke.

Especially when she was practically lying of her death bed in a hospital.

Jose's tortured eyes when he recited the Pinnacle Race was not funny either.

Especially when he had almost cried at certain intense points.

Neither was Jack's vanishing into thin air a joke.

Especially when I had personally witnessed that scene.

It made my chest filled with pride to listen how strong Anastasia and Christopher were till the end.

Especially Anastasia.

I noticed that whenever Jose spoke of her, a particular expression of awe and respect lightened up him while face.

He admired her a lot. He treated her like she was his hero.

And from the tale I had just listened, if it were true, then she was my hero too.

Just when I thought I couldn't fall for this girl anymore, I was proved wrong.

She was beautiful, strong and so fucking brave.

She had saved and protected people time and time again. Never leaving anyone behind. Including my brother.

And now when the time had come for me to protect her. I had failed, resulting in her hurting so deeply.

I queried my eyes shut in agony and despair.

Praying to every god of every myth, I hoped she would be alright.

Else my fury would be much greater than that of Thor's.

However, there were still many questions I had no answer too.

Thus I started firing them away at Jose.

First and most important one. "Where do I come in all this?"

"You were a student in the Brooke too. You and Christopher both had come in scholarships. Him on football and you on swimming."

"Swimming? I don't swim."

"No you do swim. You just don't know that because you're scared to go near any water body. Just like I am still scared to play field hockey. Just like I'm pretty sure that Anastasia never runs, does she?"

"No she doesn't. She hates running."

"You'd be surprised to know she came on athletics scholarships. She used to do tracks too. Also she was the best runner in the Race."

"I still didn't get you Jose."

"BMHS had taken our talent and made it our phobia Christian. I told you the time table you remember?"

I nodded. Wincing as I remembered the gruesome time table of Brooke Mountain High School.

Sick fucks.

"We all chose the activities or the sport we excel at in the activity period. So you can imagine how the thing we loved the most to do became the thing we hated the most."

Second question : "Why don't I remember anything?"

"None of us did. Though our reason was different. The Brooke had trapped our subconscious mind when we spent two days in Glean Center. The moment we came out of the town, our memories were forgotten. Yours, I have no idea."

Third : "How did I just come back and continued with my life like nothing ever happened? I mean there was no missing time period. None of my parents ever mentioned this."

"You just saw what happened with Jack. No one remembered him. The Brooke has a sort of time machine. It was the first time that year that they used it for students. They asked us all when had we come to know about The Brooke and sent us back into the time, back in our homes, just before the mention of The Brooke changed our lives. No one around you knew about it, neither did you. As if the place simply doesn't exist."

Fourth question: "What happened to Christopher?"

"I don't know. I was bleeding out, crushed below the landslides, waiting to die when Marks had found me and told me that all the surviving contestants were free to go. I had no idea if Ana or Christopher had made it. But when they carried me into the machine I saw Ana unconscious there, along with few others. Sadly Christopher was not there."

I nodded at that. I had accepted my brother had gone away a long time ago.

This did not hurt as much as it should've. I had learnt to live without him.

I just hoped wherever he was, he was fine.

"Maybe Ana could tell us, if she wakes up." He said.

"When! _When_ she wakes up, not if." I snarled.

He brought his hands up in peace. "Okay. _When_ she wakes up."

"How do you know so much about the Brooke? You were just a student yourself."

"I was a senior and part of the prefect. Had I made it being their perfect slave, I would have been stuck serving them forever."

"Where did the other graduates go? The ones who passed out before you? And what made you turn from perfect slave to imperfect one?"

"No one knows what happened to them. That was a secret BMHS never told anyone. As for your second question, I met Ana and that began to undo my conditioning. Also the reason I was sent to the Race as a punishment."

"So how did you and Ana meet each other?"

He paused. His posture tensed Shame and remorse were clear in his eyes as he replied what I could have never imagine in a million years.

"We prefects raped her."

"WHAT?" I roared.

"We were supposed to rape her. They called it as the First Lesson. Said it would break the minds of student and make their conditioning easy. But we were not successful. Your brother arrived on time, saved her and beat the crap out of us."

It made me just a fraction of bit better that Christopher had save her.

That didn't mean I wasn't thinking of killing Jose right now. Damn his excuse of being a blank puppet. I couldn't care enough.

I stood up from our table and walked away, outside the building.

Jose yelled my name as he followed me, pleading me to stop with a guilty voice.

Good. I wanted him to feel guilty. And I wanted him to follow me.

When I was sure that no one was around I stopped at turned to face him.

He stopped in front of me as well, opening his mouth to say something.

Probably apologize.

But I shut his mouth with a solid punch to his jaw.

He took the blow silently. His face turned to ninety degrees, his hand came up reflexively at his bleeding lip.

"I deserved that." He said.

"You deserve much more than that."

"I have learned my lesson, really."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I hope so. Else I won't hesitate to teach you one."

He nodded. "I don't doubt that."

My phone rang, ending our conversation for now.

It was Kate.

My heartbeat instantly picked up the pace.

Expecting the worse, I steeled myself and picked her call.

"How's she?" I asked, not bothering for the greetings.

"She is... a little shaky and awake but I need to tell yo-"

"I'm coming." I cut her off then hung up, running straight for the building in front of me.

"Christian wait." Jose called behind me. I didn't stop. All I could think was seeing if Ana was alright.

"Christian! At least change your shirt. You're covered in blood. You don't want to freak her out do you?"

That stopped me. I turned at him, seeing he was rushing towards his car.

I followed him impatiently.

He opened his trunk, producing a spare t-shirt.

My hands fumbled with my bloodied shirt as I took it off.

Jose's shirt was a size or so small for me. Thus, it felt a little too tight.

Not that it mattered.

What mattered was to go to Anastasia.

I entered the building and asked for her room.

"She was out of the surgery thirty minutes ago. She's being shifted to a private room now." The receptionist told me.

After she gave me her room number, I went searching for it.

Kate was standing outside her room with her boyfriend. He was holding her while she cried with no restrictions.

My feet wobbled with fear, afraid of asking what was wrong.

"Kate?"

She broke away from her boyfriend and ran to me.

I caught her against my chest that was now rising with tagged breaths. "What's wrong? Is it about Ana?"

"She doesn't remember Christian. She doesn't remember anything. She doesn't remember _me."_

I tensed. "What do you mean she doesn't remember?"

"I went to talk to her. She looked at me like she couldn't recognize me. She said she didn't know who I was. The doctor came and evaluated her. He said it was a case of retrograde amnesia. She thinks she is still in high school."

That meant she didn't remember me either.

It felt like someone had punched me in the gut hard enough for all the organs to come out.

I couldn't hear to this anymore. She couldn't forget me. She couldn't forget us.

We had just begun. This couldn't be our end. I refuted it to be our end.

I stepped back from Kate and into the room.

The white sterile look of the walls and furniture gave me an eerie feeling.

That was until my eyes met Anastasia's widened ones.

Every nerve, every muscle in my body melted.

There was a huge bandage on one side of her head, hair shaved off from the part surrounding the wound.

Eyes teary, full of questions. Fear contoured with a mask of false coldness.

But alive.

She had never looked more beautiful to me than she was right at the moment.

Not even when she had come screaming my name.

But there was also suffering on we face mixed with pain, fear and longing.

I was aware of what all she's gone through in the Brooke.

Jose had said that Jack's blow was meant to either make her forget it all or make in instable enough to make her go in a mental asylum.

Had he been successful in doing that?

Anastasia had feared it would happen to her when she had told me about the girl on the article.

I was supposed to keep her safe. I'd let her down.

It killed me to see Anastasia go through all of this alone.

How much pain she had endured. How much cruelty she had born.

Yet my strong girl didn't break.

She took every worse thing thrown upon her and gave it back to those sick twats ten-fold.

I wanted to take her in my arms, stick her forever within me so that she knows she won't be alone anymore.

She won't have to fight just by herself.

But at the same time I didn't touch her, not because I didn't want her to freak out.

Yes that was a good enough reason, but not the real one.

I didn't want to be near her, to touch her, in case she took my comfort for my brother's.

I wouldn't be able to keep myself together if she mistook me for Christopher.

It was shamelessly selfish of me. I shouldn't have cared about whoever she thought of me.

All my thoughts should've been focused on supporting her, being there for her when she needed me.

But I couldn't fathom being called out Christopher instead of Christian.

I was her Christian. Her C.

I couldn't be someone else. I didn't want to me someone else.

"You!" She exclaimed pointing at me.

I brought both my hands up in the air as a sign to show her I meant no harm.

"I'm Christian. I'm not going to hurt you."

She nodded. Her eyes were extremely focused, assessing me.

The way she went deadly calm told me she didn't really trust me.

I planned to change that very soon.

"Can I please sit?"

Her hand discreetly went behind her back, searching for something.

Had my attention not been zeroed on every moment of hers, I would've surely missed her grabbing a pen from the side table.

She popped open the tip and gripped in tightly in her hand as if holding a knife.

Only when she was sure she had a weapon in her control did she nodded, allowing me to sit.

Although it hurt me to see her distrusting me so much, I felt relieved.

She was vigilante. I couldn't blame her after knowing what she went through.

But it felt good to know that she still had the courage to fight if the danger came.

Not that I would let anything bad come near her now. Not. Ever. Again.

I say at a respectable distance away from her in the bed, though my body screamed to be near her.

To feel her warmth, her flushed skin against mine just as I had this morning.

Was it only this morning? It felt like millennium.

We stared at each other. Both gazing stoically.

Her because of her lack of trust and fear. Me because I was trying not to let my raging emotions scare her.

Finally she chose to be the brave one to break the awkward silence.

My Ana, always brave.

Though maybe no longer mine.

No! She would always be mine. No matter if I ever get to be with her or not.

"So you're the roommate my supposed best-friend Kate told me about?"

"Yup. I guess I am."

"She also tells me you're my boyfriend."

I chuckled. I couldn't help it.

Leave it to Kate for being the incurable romantic. And leave it to Ana for being so blunt.

It was good to know she hadn't lost that part of her.

Actually if I looked carefully, she still was the same. Just not remembering me or her time in Georgia.

 _That's fine. We could work through it._

"It wasn't exactly like that. We were getting closer, but didn't reach that stage yet."

"She also told me you were her ex too? Pretty fucked up I'd say."

I laughed. Damn this girl for making me laugh at such crucial moment.

Without thinking, my hand went up to her face. Brushing away a strand of her gently, before realizing what I was doing.

I pulled my hand back.

Clearing my throat I replied her.

"Kate and I didn't have anything serious. We dated for a while, it didn't work out. We both moved on happily without endangering our friendship."

Ana nodded. Her eyes never leaving my face.

"Did I ever tell you how alike do you look to someone I used to know?"

I stiffened. I knew who she was talking about.

"Yes. But Christopher is not just my look-alike. He is my twin brother. I told you that before."

Her mouth opened in shock with a sharp intake of breath.

Just then, a male doctor in his late forties or early fifties arrived.

"Sorry for interrupting you. I just came to check on Anastasia."

He opened a file after reading her charts. "So tell me Anastasia how are you feeling?"

"Apart from not remembering anything, I feel fine."

"Don't stress out. Give it some time it will all come back to you. Retrograde amnesia is not uncommon with head injuries like these."

"I hope so." Anastasia said.

It fascinated me at how well she was taking everything.

If I had been in her place, I would have been shitting myself sitting among the strangers who claimed to know me.

She was so strong.

"So do you remember something else?" He asked her.

"Yes. I remember my friend Mia leaving for L.A. I remembered my graduation from high school. I also remembered my Aunt Maggie getting married the next year."

"Wow. That's really good."

"But I still don't remember going to Georgia or anything about my sophomore year."

"That's fine. Just don't over stress it. You remembered back three years in the last hour. I'm sure you'll remember everything in no time."

Then his eyes came upon me. "May I ask who are you, gentleman?"

"I'm Christian Grey. Her roommate."

"Do you know how she was injured?"

I hesitated.

"I was looking for her in locker rooms. She was already unconscious when I reached there."

He nodded. "Well it's good you brought her here in time. Else it could've been much more worse. It was a pretty nasty hit."

Anastasia shifted beside me uncomfortably.

Both I and the doc noticed.

"Well I think it's time for you to rest Anastasia."

"Wait, can Christian be here please? I want to talk to him. It might help me remember."

"That's fine. But like I said, no over stressing and rest as much as you can."

With that he left.

And Jose entered.

Anastasia trembled once. Instinctively my arm curled against her shoulder.

"Hi Ana." Jose greeted nervously.

"Jose."

"You remember me?"

She nodded. Her eyes shrieking in anguish, no doubt remembering how they met.

"Ana I swear I'm sorry for what I did to y-"

"It's alright. You don't need to explain yourself. I remember everything about The Brooke."

"You do?" He asked in shock.

"Yes."

"But you don't remember why you came to Georgia?"

"No. Nothing about here. Though I can muster up a guess. Christopher told me he was from Georgia."

Then she looked at me.

"But he never told me that he had a twin brother or any sibling at all."

"Then I guess he didn't tell you I was in the Brooke either." I said.

She gasped. "You were?"

"Yes. I just found that out fifteen minutes ago from Jose. I still can't remember a thing about it though."

"Whoa! That's... I don't know what to say."

I shrugged. "It's cool. I'm kinda' speechless myself."

"So where is he now? Christopher, I mean."

Jose intervened. "We were hoping you could tell us that. You were the last one to see him."

Anastasia stayed silent for a long moment. I think I caught a flicker of anger on her face but it was gone as soon as it appeared, returning back to its stoic expression.

"No. I don't know."

She spoke the truth. But there was something else too she was hiding.

"Who is Mia Fields?" He asked.

"She is- or was- my best friend. She was selected to the Brooke but her dad had just gotten the transfer to L.A at that time. So she decided to go there and give me her scholarship since we both excelled in athletics."

Jose nodded. "Makes sense now."

Not to me. I raised my brow questioningly.

"Mia Fields was her alias in the Brooke." Jose answered and turned back to Ana.

"Which is why it took me longer than expected to find you again."

"Why did you want to find me?"

"We'll have that chat later. I'll let you guys talk for now."

With that he left. Leaving us both staring at each other's face again awkwardly.

Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes as she fought back against them.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you in pain?"

She shook her head, avoiding my gaze.

"Tell me Ana. You want me to call the doctor?"

"No." Her voice cracked.

 _Ah! Fuck it._

I cradled her face in my hands, pushing her face until her eyes saw straight in mine.

The raw tortured pain there made me shook from my core.

"What is it babe? Tell me. You always tell me everything Ana."

"It's about your brother and I don't want to me a bitch, so just let it be."

 _Listen to her Grey. Don't ask her again._

 _You've had your dose for the day, you don't need more of this._

"Try me. I won't ever judge."

She sniffed her tears back. "I hate him."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know how much you know about us to answer that question."

"I know enough. Jose told me about the Pinnacle Race. About you guys being together. So tell me why do you hate him?"

"Because Christopher and I were together in everything, every way. He saved my life countless times and sometimes I did to. But then, he just left me."

A sob broke out from her, uncontrollably. Going straight in my gut.

"He left without any reason. I still can't forget the look he gave. Like I'd never meant to him anything. Like all those times he told me he loved me, it was a lie. God I hate him. I hate your brother, Christian."

She spoke like she was ashamed to say so.

I was not.

Was it wrong of me to not feel sad that she hated Christopher?

Yes, it was definitely wrong.

But I knew I was a selfish, shameless bastard. And I never claimed to be otherwise.

"It's okay to hate him Ana. You were hurt and left out. I won't blame you of anything."

I wiped her tears. "Also get this in your head. No matter what he did, I won't ever leave you. I promise you I'll never hurt you Ana."

She looked up into my eyes, nodding a bit hesitantly.

"Rest now. We can talk later."

She lied down while I moved the covers over her.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" She asked shyly.

 _Damn she looks cute!_

"I'm not leaving."

"It's wired isn't it? The whole twin-situation?"

I snorted bitterly. "I wouldn't know since I am the only son from past four years."

She took my hand in both of hers silently. My fingers immediately entwined with hers like it was the most natural thing to do.

This thing... whatever was there between us was so strong it was almost tangible.

Even Anastasia could feel it when she didn't even remember me.

She looked me in the eye as she whispered. "We'll get him back. You'll have your brother back."

I sighed. I couldn't help myself as I bent forward and kissed her forehead.

I had to feel her soft skin against my lips for once.

"Go to sleep now."

She did, never leaving my hand, trusting me to guard her against the monsters.

I had no intention of ever letting her go either.

* * *

 **Who is having problems for falling back for Christian again? I want a Christian in my life too! But then I might also want a Christopher in my life as well.**

 **Though there are certain differences in between these Grey Brothers. Christian is more mature and confident about the things he do while Christopher has a better control over his emotions. But maybe that is due to the age difference. Christopher was 17 back then and Christian is like almost 21. So maybe the present day Christopher (wherever he is) would be a lot like Christian too?**

 **So did this chapter satisfy you enough?**

 **REMEMBER AT LEAST 25 REVIEWS FOR THESE TWO CHAPTERS. ONLY THEN A NEW CHAPTER WILL BE POSTED.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	25. Anastasia 25

**This is the second last chapter of this story.**

 **Sadly The Brooke is coming to an end :(**

 **Show your love for the characters here. Make sure to leave lots of reviews.**

 **GOOD NEWS : Since you all couldn't wait till September/ October, I'm going to start writing The Cinder by next month and hopefully publish it by June or July.**

 **CHAPTER 25**

 **Anastasia**

THE FIRST THING I saw when I opened my eyes made my jaw drop to the floor.

It was her.

My safety net, my parent, my care-taker, my best friend who I hadn't seen in last four years.

"Mia!"

Her name came out as a cry along with the tears.

Just the sight of her, so beautiful and proud, was enough to take me over the edge again.

She immediately landed into my opening arms.

With my soul sister in my arms, it felt like everything was right.

As if we were back to our high school giggles and cussing race.

As if she'd never left me.

As if the Brooke had never existed.

"H-how did y-you-" I stammered, unable to ask the question forming on my lips. I doubted I was capable of saying anything at this moment.

But she understood me. That was us. "I'm listed second in your emergency contact. Maggie is in London so they called me."

I nodded. Shuddering in the comfort she provided.

"Oh my god Ana I'm so sorry darling. I didn't know anything I swear, I don't remember."

We both cried leaning into each other like soul mate who met after being separated for an eternity.

I was too overwhelmed to clear her guilt.

She kept apologizing to me. For sending me whenever she sent me.

Once my emotional attack subsided, I told her it was all okay.

"I know you don't know. I know you don't remember and I'm glad you never went there. If I had to go again on your behalf, I'd do it in another blink."

This one it was her turn to let out uncontrollable streams of tears.

"Dammit Ana, why can't you save all that romance for the hotshot blue eyes. Don't waste it on me. I did nothing to deserve so much love from you."

She was so wrong. She was all I had when I had lost my parents, my old life.

If it weren't for her, I'd had been lost into the sea of sadness forever.

But wait, did she say hot-shot blue eyes?

"Who are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Me of course."

Christian came in to the view with a heart-dropping smile on his face.

My first reaction was to smile back without realizing it.

My second reaction was thinking how much similar he looked to Christopher.

Third reaction was the cringe ignited from the hurt of betrayal and longing I felt for Christopher.

Christian must've noticed my expressions. Something told me he was used to read me easily.

The silence became much grave between us while Mia just flickered her gaze back and forth between us.

She was a little too slow to feel the sudden change of atmosphere in the room, even for a blonde.

"Uhh.. so will someone tell me what is exactly going on? All this hottie here told me was that you went to some kind of dystopia on my name which resulted you in a hospital bed with half a memory."

I groaned preparing myself to talk for the longest time ever.

After Mia and Christian settled comfortable in the room, I began my ghost story.

Starting from the moment Mia had come with the proposal to where I had fallen in the glass cage only to be woken up to a different version of reality.

Christian filled up the gaps whenever he could, from Jose's point of view, such as the mystery of time travelling.

But soon after my tale began to involve Christopher as my savior he got quiet.

Was it because he missed him? Or was he because he was jealous of his own brother?

I had no idea.

Neither did I judge.

But I did keep our romantic story cut down to the lowest.

Mia whistled for long seconds after I concluded my story, reminding me how much I hated that I couldn't whistle for shit.

"Please tell me this is some sort of a prank."

"That was my first reaction as well." Christian murmured.

"Come on Ana, look at it! This is so unbelievable. Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"

I threw her a look.

"No seriously. I mean how could I not remember ever making my parents do so much illegal work? It has to be a Kodak-moment. They couldn't delete pictures with time travel, can they?"

"You remember your big good news you were supposed to give me? You specially came to my house to deliver it but then forgot it?"

"The day when we almost had sex?"

Christian's eyes almost popped out of his face at her words.

"Shut up Mia. I'm being serious here."

She sighed. "Yes I remember it. But then I keep forgetting so many things, this could've been anything else."

"But it's not. It was about the Brooke. I remember both time versions of that day."

"So you're telling I got a full scholarship from the most prestigious school of the world and I forgot about it?"

"Have you heard anything I've been saying from the past hour? It was not prestigious at all. It was hell!"

"Okay, so I got a scholarship from the supposed 'prestigious school' and I don't even remember it?"

"I know it's hard to believe. You just forgot the scholarship. I can't remember the whole year I spent there, or whatever time duration that was." Christian said.

"Are you sure she's not playing on you too?"

"Having a missing brother and almost-killed best friend is no prank."

I hadn't even thought of him being effected too with all this chaos happening.

My heart ached for C.

C?

 _C..._

 _C!_

"C?" I called out loud to test the reaction.

Christian's head snapped right at me. His eyes blazing with hope and excitement, hearing me call him that.

"Does anyone call you C?"

He smiled warmly at me. The warmth somehow went straight to my belly.

"Only you call me that Ana. Only you have the right to."

"And are you a womanizer? "

He guffawed. "Ow! Of all the things, that was the first you remember about me?"

"Just answer the question, silly. Yes or no."

"Hell no! I admit I used to play around before meeting you, but I never treated them with disrespect."

"What about after we met?"

"I stopped."

"How long ago we met?"

"Three and half months or so?"

"Wow! So you haven't slept around since three months! Woohoo big deal!"

"For me it is, okay?"

"What the fuck is going on here?" Mia interrupted looking so agitated it was comical. "Ana since when did you start dating womanizers?"

Christian and I both replied to her simultaneously.

"We are no dating."

"I am not a womanizer."

"Oh come on! You, hot-shot haven't wet your dick since three months doesn't mean you have become all saint."

Then she pointed to me. "And you Anastasia stop acting like a jealous over-possessive girlfriend if you're not dating."

"What the- When did I act like a jealous over possessive girlfriend?"

"Diving into your current fuck buddy's past and sulking over it is what exactly over-possessive girlfriends do!"

"Okay first thing, he is not my fuck buddy. Second, I wasn't digging into his past. I was just merely recalling my memory."

"You live in same room. You're fuck buddies."

"That's called being roommates Mia!"

She shrugged "Same shit, different name."

"Bitch." I muttered.

"Slut." she threw back.

"Whore."

"Gold digger."

"Cunt-eater."

"Piss-drinker."

"Asshole-licker."

"Nose-fucker."

"Ewww. Mia! Who fucks the nose?"

"You never know the height of kinkiness these days. Men talk about fucking women in every hole, don't they? Nostrils are holes too."

I immediately burst out laughing.

My whole body rocking till I finally cough for breath and tears came up my eyes.

"I'm hungry. You want something to eat?" Mia asked me.

I shook my head, still hiccupping from the laughing-hysteria.

When I finally calm down my eyes rest straight on much-forgotten Christian.

Feeling self-conscious I flushed under his watchful gaze.

He was looking at me with a strange expression.

Kind of how Christopher used to look at me. Only much more intense.

I winced internally.

How insensitive was it of me to compare both of them?

God this was so weird. Getting involved with twin brothers.

Arrghh!

I didn't even know what to say. Luckily Christian broke the silence for me.

"I have never heard you curse that much in the whole fourteen weeks I'd known you."

"Because I don't. It's just Mia. She plays this game to bring out my inner beast."

"Well your inner beast certainly looks sexy."

I blushed furiously... before remembering the harsh reality.

Clearing my throat soundly, I asked him. "Is there something you know that would help trigger my memory?"

He thought for a minute or so before answering a nod.

"There is this weird game you like to play when you're bored. You compare people with food items."

My smile wavered a little. Of course he noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" I spoke too quickly.

He smirked. "Did you remember me telling you countless times that you're a horrible liar?"

I huffed.

"Tell me what is it Ana?"

"It just reminded me of Christopher, okay? We used to play that game in The Brooke."

"Oh" he turned all serious which was what exactly I was avoiding.

I liked him more when he was all playful and fun.

Not that I didn't like him all serious and intense as well.

What the hell. Why do I even care?

Did I even like him? I glanced at him, checking his muscular biceps, hard chest, shadowed and strong muscles.

Okay I did like him. But only because he was hot. I didn't _like_ like him.

"So who's gonna start?" I asked hoping to lighten the mood.

"You do." His reply was stiff.

"Uhm... Troy? He is your ex-roommate right?"

"Yes. He is. Okay let's see. Troy is... a bag of wafers."

"Wafers?"

"Fun to hang out with but never satisfying."

"Hah! I didn't take you to be the bitching type."

"I'm not bitching. Just keeping up with my asshole reputation."

I snickered. "You shouldn't work so hard."

"That's up to me. My turn. Jose."

"Coconut." I prompted out remembering my conversation with Christopher. "Hard to crack but very soft inside."

"That's a nice way to think."

"Why, thank you. Kate."

"Croissant. Good company, beneficial and easy. Mia."

"Milkshake - all things good. What about me?"

He thought for a long time. His gaze turning serious all of sudden.

"Bitter Melon."

My voice got stuck in my throat. Thoughts immediately went back to Christopher. I didn't dare ask Christian why he called me that.

But he answered anyway.

"Good for beauty. Good for healing. Good for health. Not to mention you blunt attitude can sometimes be a little bitter."

I didn't laugh at that. His answer reminded me of the grotesque memories of the Brooke.

"So what about me?" He asked.

First thing that came to my mind was hotdogs reminding me of the irony of playing the same game with two brothers.

Somehow it made me feel like I was playing with feelings of two brothers.

I didn't want to be that girl.

Yes I loved Christopher. But I also hated him.

That kind of love never goes away. It stays with you forever.

However with Christian, I didn't even know him enough. Or should I say remember.

But when I did, what would happen to us?

He had said we were close. Kate had assumed we were together.

It would've been fine had I not remembered the Brooke.

Now that I did, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to go back where we left.

I wouldn't lie and say the thought wasn't tempting. Christian was a delicious guy to look at.

He also seemed a little different than Christopher. Maybe older?

Anyone could agree that the attraction between us was undeniable.

The way he looked at me with his intense seductive gaze, I'm sure that look for solely responsible for ruins of many panties.

My panties might have made the list too if it would've been yesterday.

Before I came to realize who I really was.

And it's not just in respect to Christopher that I would've have to keep Christian at an arm's length.

Christian didn't deserve to be with a mess like me.

He could have anyone he wanted. He didn't have to be stuck with me.

"Pizza!" I finally said. "All crisp and yummy and good looking. Wanted by everyone."

"But you don't like Pizza."

"Because I shouldn't. It's unhealthy."

"How is it unhealthy?" He asked. We both knew it wasn't pizza we were talking about.

So I chose my words carefully.

"Once you have a bite of it, you can't stop. You want to take it all, not realizing how harmful can it's ingredients be to your diet."

He thought over his answer for a long time before giving it to me.

"With good toppings, it can prove to be actually healthy. Then you won't have to stop from taking it all."

No. I'll have to stop. And I have to do that before taking the first bite. When the temptation was not vital.

"It won't be fair to him, Christian."

His face hardened. His hands formed fists with knuckles whitening.

Christian didn't say anything. He just nodded, then left.

Leaving his disappointment and anger in his trail, along with my guilt.

I didn't know but the moment he walked out it felt like Déjà vu.

His hard unemotional face as he left me reminded me of Christopher, making my heart weep in betrayal.

 _I hate you, Christopher._

 _But I miss you too. I love you._

Then why did the moment Christian was gone, I felt a large part of me gone with him too?

One free advice : Never fall for brothers. Especially twins.

 **Can we please take the reviews over 300?**

 **Next chapter would be posted after at least 17 reviews :P**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	26. Christian 26

**It has been a wonderful journey with you all. Thank you for providing me courage and strength with each chapter. You guys are the most wonderful readers.**

 **P.S - Some of you are expecting for me to wrap the whole thing up in this chapter. Now why would I do that? if I answer everything in this story then what would I write for the second part? :P**

 **Enjoy reading XD**

 **CHAPTER 26**

 **Christian**

THE NEXT FEW DAYS were uneventful.

The detective came to visit Anastasia. Apparently, hospital had informed him about the attack.

As decided among us, Ana acted dumb and so did Jose and I.

No point in tell in them that the fucker had disappeared in some weird time travel.

Besides, no one else remembered him but us.

So telling the authority would only cause us more trouble and possibly some kind of psychological diagnosis.

Anastasia was discharged from the hospital after two more days, regaining her full memory.

Doctor had suggested to her staying for a few more days but Ana was Ana.

She said she couldn't take the white walls anymore. She was going crazy and wanted to go out.

Like all of us, he had bowed down to her demands though not before making demands of his own.

No stress was to taken. No heavy weights to be lifted and strictly minimum movement possible. With lots of rest.

Anastasia had frowned but accepted his conditions.

She broke one of the demands as soon as a wheelchair was brought to take her.

"No fucking way! Are you shitting me? I'm not travelling in that."

"Ana..."

"Don't mess with me C. You want me to ride in that? You'll have to kill me first."

Of course I had agreed to her wishes as well.

Because A) She had called me C again and B) She had fucking cursed. I loved it when Ana went all foul-mouthed.

So I carried her all the way from the hospital building, into the car.

That way, I didn't mind not using the wheelchair.

Anastasia slept through most of the way back to the campus.

Her body shook with silent tremors every now and then.

Remembering everything didn't send her nightmares away.

Maybe they won't be as worse as they were before but they were still there.

I'll have to find a way to send them away.

Now that the earlier method won't be allowed, I'll have to think of something else.

It gutted me that Anastasia didn't want me near her, even after she remembered everything.

Our kisses, our touches, our almost first time.

That only drove her farther away from me.

She never shut me out. Her attitude was the same as before, if not warmer.

But at the same time, she had put a stop to our harmless flirting and rumored accusations. Also she never spent time with me alone.

Not that we got much of that.

Mia was constantly buzzing around her like a bee.

As much as I liked her for being there for Ana when she was depressed in her teenage, I was also angry at her for sending her to the Brooke.

I knew she didn't know the outcome to turn out like this, but my idiot-self was never smart.

Only purely overprotective and over-possessive of Anastasia.

Who didn't want anything to do with me.

I huffed.

Parking my car, I got out. Secretly smiling over the fact that I'd get to carry Ana in my arms yet.

That was the closest she had allowed me to be in the days.

Obviously I was going to take full advantage of that.

No, not in _that_ way. Just the innocent way.

Yeah, I know it was hard to believe since I rarely did something innocent.

Would you call me an asshole if I told you that I had intentionally parked the car in farthest corner from the campus just so that I could have Ana in my arms for longer time?

Of course, you would.

But guess what?

I didn't give a fuck!

About anything.

Not about you judging me. Not about Anastasia meeting Christopher first. Not about what people thought of us and certainly nothing about the Brooke.

I went to the other side of the car and opened the door, bending slightly.

The sight that greeted me was priceless. Something I couldn't deserve after living a thousand lives too.

Ana was slumped again the car seat. Her eyes were closed, mouth slightly agape.

The way her brunette curls caressed her cheeks, a thousand nameless feelings ran inside me seeing that.

I wanted to keep looking at her forever like this.

But I had lost that right now.

Thanks to re-entry of my brother in my girl's life.

 _How fucking low can you stoop down Grey?_

Gosh! What was wrong with me.

I was blaming my own twin brother. My shadow soul.

Who was tortured as much as Ana and Jose were. Maybe as much as me too, but I still didn't remember a thing about BMHS.

He has been missing from past four years when I had somehow returned back to the normal world.

I should be worrying for him. Not hating him for leaving Ana or taking her away from me.

They had met first, he had protected Anastasia time to time when I had failed to do so.

I should be thankful to him.

Ugh! Anastasia was turning me into full time hater.

I hated everyone now a days.

I hated Mia for sending Ana to the Brooke.

I hated Jose for bloody raping her.

I hated Christopher for leaving her alone.

And I hated Kate for suggesting me to be Anastasia's roommate at the first place.

Hell, I think I even hated Ana for remembering everything about the Brooke.

No. That was a lie. I could never hate Ana. Ever.

No matter what she did.

I sighed deeply. Shaking my head I nudged her on the shoulder lightly.

"Ana. Get up. We're here."

She didn't wake up at first.

My hand, having a mind of its own, reached to tuck away her hair behind her ear.

"Wake up, babe."

Her eyes opened slowly, the grey irises opening to its fullest by each nano-second.

My thumb stroked her smooth pale skin idly.

A slow smile touched her lips.

It took everything in me not to capture that smile with my own mouth.

"You tired?"

"I don't know why I am. All I do is just sleep these days."

"Your mind needs healing babe."

"It has needed that from a long time. Sleep was never the solution." She whispered.

I was lost. I didn't know what to do, or how to make her forget it all.

There was a permanent melancholy fixed in her eyes since she woke up in the hospital.

Her smiles too felt heavy now.

I had to do something.

But first I needed to get her back in our room.

 _Our room_. I liked the sound of that.

Wait. Would she let me stay in her room every night now that was putting distance between us?

I couldn't stomach if she told me to stay away.

I had to know the answer about that.

My first thought was to try the Christian way, talking in circles until she herself offered me what I wanted.

But this was Ana. Not any other bimbo who was my plaything.

So I abandoned that method and tried the Anastasia way. Straight to the point without wasting any time.

"Ana I was wondering if I am banned from your room now?"

She didn't play around. She met my eyes head-on with a hint of regret.

"I won't ban you from my room, C. But I think it would be better if you start looking somewhere else. Of course you could stay with me till the time you find a place."

 _Why can't I stay with you forever?_

I already knew the answer.

Christopher.

"Alright, I'll start looking next week. Though I must warn you it can take a few months to come up with an arrangement."

"I'm fine with that." She said.

Good.

No need to tell her about the pending offers sitting at my disposal.

"Okay so let's get you to our- uh your room."

I slipped my one arm below her knees.

She rolled her eyes. "You know I am not invalid." She said but shifted forward so that I could slip my other hand being her back.

"No you're not. But Doc said minimum movements. I'm not taking any chances."

I scooped her up then kicked the door shut.

Since it was a weekend night, the campus was almost deserted.

We walked, or rather I walked in silence for several minutes towards the campus (not to mention at an extremely slow pace) before she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry C."

"For what?"

Her hand resting on my shoulder came up to my face while she snuggled her head against my shoulder.

 _Dammit Ana I'm trying to be the good guy here!_

"Don't feel sad about me kicking you out. Because I'm not. We both know it's easier this way. We don't need to torture ourselves unnecessarily. "

 _Who said it was unnecessarily? Every second of it would be worth if I get to be in the same room you breathe._

"Yeah Ana. I get it. I'm not sad."

"You should learn to lie at least better than me."

That made me chuckle.

"Anyone can lie better than you babe."

We exchanged a few more friendly insulates as I walked.

When she called me dickless I threatened to drop her.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Really?"

She was still smiling though her face showed her doubts. "Christian, no."

I smirked at her devilishly.

"C.."

She didn't get to finish as I let my arms fall away from her supporting way.

She shrieked soundlessly as gravity took over her.

Her eyes closed, her hands tightened around my neck.

But then my arms were back around her before she could touch the ground.

"So you were saying something Ana?"

"You're a complete asshole. Drop me down I'll walk. I don't trust you anymore."

She said, fighting off a huge smile and failing beautifully.

I laughed. "Come on, you seriously thought I'd let you fall?"

"Yes! You almost just did!"

"It really touches me how much faith you put in me Ana." I replied her sarcastically.

"Well excuse me for not trusting the guy who almost dropped me. The only reason you didn't was because you didn't want to deal with my wrath later."

"You know you look so sexy when you're angry."

"Shut up and walk faster."

"Yes Ma'am."

We became silent again. Though this time it was a comfortable one.

Just as we reached the room's door, I leaned down and whispered in her ear with utmost sincerity.

"I would never let anything happen to you Ana. Not again."

Before she could reply, the door was opened with dozens of people screaming "SURPRIZE!"

Anastasia froze in shock.

Kate stood with Mia in the middle, holding a big banner that stated WELCOME BACK, ANA.

All of our canteen-group with few of my soccer teammates were there as well as Jose.

I quickly kissed Ana on the forehead. "Welcome home, babe."

"You guys.. I don't know what to say. Thank you so much." Ana choked out.

"Ah don't thank us. We didn't do a thing." Mia said.

"It was all Christian." Kate joined her. They seemed to hit right on the track since the day they met in hospital.

I rolled my eyes as I carried Ana in.

"I didn't do shit with all the ribbon and sparkly glitters on the walls."

I sat Ana on her bed.

"Just the idea was mine. Everything else was done by them."

"Whoa! Christian being altruistic?" One of my soccer teammate teased. "What are you doing to him Ana?"

"Conspiring with me on where to dump your body after I kill you." I threw back at him.

Others around us laughed.

Anastasia's small welcome back party started smoothly.

No one asked about how she hit her head, just like I had clearly instructed them not to.

This night was for her. She didn't need any more reminders of the Brooke.

I got to talk with Mia as well. She told me how Ana was like in her childhood and teenage.

I asked her if she would like to come for Anastasia's surprise birthday party.

"Lover boy. That's two months away."

"So?"

"You're starting to plan it now?"

"No. Yeah. I guess. Maybe."

She laughed shaking her head.

"I never took you to be such a pussy-whipped guy."

Unlike Ana, she didn't seem to have a problem going all bad-mouth.

"So which college are you from?" I asked, changing the track.

"UCLA"

"Damn!"

"Don't be impressed at all. My father is a rich man. He became one of the trustees which is how I got admitted there."

"How come you never contacted Ana in last four years?"

"I did. Lots of time for the first year. She never answered my calls or texts. Maggie, her aunt, she told me every time I reached out to her, she just got more depressed. I couldn't do that to her. So I though a clean break might me nice."

I nodded in understanding.

"You don't remember sending her to the Brooke do you?" There was an edge to my voice that I couldn't hide.

Her face fell, I felt almost guilty asking her.

"Listen Christian, I love her more than anything in this world. I don't remember doing something like that to her. Had I known, I would have gone myself rather than sending her."

The conviction she spoke with eased me a bit.

"Besides, Jose has a theory about whole time travel thing. He thinks we went back into the time just before BMHS was introduced to any of us. Just like your parents don't remember sending both of their children to The Brooke, do that?"

No they didn't. Otherwise they wouldn't have searched the whole country for their younger son.

Which meant Mia might be in clear too. I still wasn't trusting her completely though.

As the night progressed, Anastasia's smile got bigger and bigger.

I watched her a lot as she mingled up with others.

As the night progressed, Anastasia's smile got bigger and bigger.

I watched her a lot as she mingled up with others.

How she laughed, how witty her jokes were, how beautiful she looked when she sneaked almost all of the hot dogs in her plate.

But then of course, fate had to fuck up again.

"Attention everyone!" Rachel called out.

We all turned to look at her.

"I know it's Anastasia's party but I figured she wouldn't mind if I share a good-news of my own."

She looked at Anastasia for permission.

"Of course not. Go ahead." Ana smiled at her warmly.

"For those of you who don't know this my family lives in Idaho. Two days back my brother, who is in freshmen year of high school, received an offer from a very prestigious school. They offered him a full-scholarship till graduation. I'm so proud of him."

Everyone cheered.

"Congrats, girlie. So which school is it?" Kate asked.

"Brooke Mountain High School. It's in Alaska."

I froze.

So did Jose and Mia.

But Anastasia was the worst.

Her knuckles turned white as she gaped at Rachel in horror.

"Wow. Never heard of it before." Someone asked Rachel, oblivious of our reaction.

"I know, neither did I. It's supposed to be very discreet. They handpick the best students throughout the country."

"So is your brother going there?"

"Of course he is."

"No!" Ana yelled, grabbing everyone's attention.

But her eyes were focused on Rachel.

"Don't send him there. Cancel it Rachel."

Rachel stated at her in confusion then let out a nervous laugh. "Of course I won't do that."

"Rachel, please trust me I'm telling you it's not a good place. Don't send him there. I know about The Brooke. I know how it is like."

"What is it like?" Rachel asked.

Ana opened her mouth to answer her, no doubt tell the truth but Jose interrupted her hastily.

"Congrats Rachel. When is you brother leaving?" He asked, but not before throwing a warning glance at Ana to be quiet.

"He already left this morning."

"No no no no no no." Anastasia shivered, taking her head in her arms. "This can't be happening. No, this can't happen."

She kept murmuring as she rocked herself like a crazy person.

"Uh sorry folks. Ana still needs her rest. Party's over." Mia said. "Kate and Christian will see you out. Thanks for coming."

Saying that she went to Ana and hugged her. Talking in her ear which seemed to calm her down gradually.

So I let her stay with Ana while Kate and I led everyone out. Thanking them for their presence.

Rachel furrowed her eyes at Ana, but wisely didn't say anything as she left.

"What's going on with Ana?" Kate asked me as I walked her to the main entrance of the form building, where her boyfriend was getting his car.

"I can't tell you."

"I'm her friend Christian. I deserve to know."

"You do. But trust me when I say you don't want to. It's nothing pretty."

She stared at me silently for long seconds.

"What?" I asked.

"I expect you to protect her like this always Christian."

At that moment her boyfriend came with the car and she hopped into it with throwing me one more glance.

I ran both my hands through my hair.

This was going to get us all crazy.

Turning, I rushed inside our room to see Jose screaming at Anastasia who was sitting with her head bowed.

"You can't just go telling everyone. We've already put Mia in danger by telling her the truth, you want others to suffer like you did? Let me tell you Ana it won't be just them. And this time there won't be any Jack smashing your head, they will kill you!"

"Jose. Back off." I said in a hard voice.

"You stay out of this Christian. You don't know any of this."

"I was there too, wasn't I?"

"Yes but you don't remember a thing and you weren't there in the race when your brother was busy saving everyone else. You don't know shut so stop being selfish for once in your life."

"No you stop being selfish Jose." Ana immediately came up to my defense.

"You're the one still a coward sitting here doing nothing while kids are still going into that hell. How many more Pinnacle Races will take place? How many more kids will die? We have to stop this."

"We have to do nothing Ana. I came alive from that place, I don't have the death wish to go back there."

Mia jumped in too. "Ana, he's right. You can't put yourself in danger again."

"Yes he is right. He would just sit here and let them turn into rapists like him!"

Jose winced visibly.

"That was a low blow Ana." He spoke in a suddenly tormented voice. Agony and suffering clear on his face.

Anastasia's face instantly filled up with guilt. "I'm sorry Jose. I didn't mean it."

I was outraged "Why the fuck are you apologizing to him Ana? It wasn't like you said anything wrong."

"Wait, wait, wait." Mia brought her hands up. "Would anyone please tell me what rapist you talking about?"

She looked at Ana and Jose questioningly.

None of them answered her. So I did.

"Jose and his classmates were conditioned to rape Anastasia in BMHS."

Mia took a sharp breath, her eyes blazing with fire as she turned on Jose to scream out her lungs.

"You fucking piece of shi-"

"Mia!" Anastasia stopped her. "It's fine."

"It is in no sense fine Ana!"

"Please let it go. He has suffered enough."

"Has he?" I asked.

Anastasia gave me a pleading look to say quiet.

But I made it clear to show my contempt to Jose.

Ana turned to him.

"Jose, you said it took you longer than you thought to find me because of my alias. Why did you want to find me?"

"To prevent what Jack did. You saved me from that hell-hole Ana. I wanted to return the favor. I failed. I'm sorry."

He should be. But when the wetness leaked from his eyes, I didn't have the heart to curse anymore at him.

He has suffered the worst. I couldn't turn butter to him.

It also scared me for myself. Have I been violated too? Like Anastasia and Jose?

I couldn't remember a thing.

It was driving me crazy.

Had Christopher gone through it as well? Where the fuck was he?

"It's okay Jose. You did save me. You drove me to the hospital. Thank you for that." Anastasia said with a sad smile.

Then she turned to me.

"I never thanked you either." She said.

I came to sit next to her and took her hand in mine. "You don't have to thank me for anything, ever. Got it?"

I gently wiped a tear as it dropped from her eyes. She blinked back the rest.

"Okay so what now?" Mia asked.

"We have to help the others." Anastasia replied.

"And how are we going to do that? I don't think telling cops is in our list. They'll either think it's a prank or throw us into some asylum."

Anastasia nodded. "Which leaves only one option."

"And that is?" Jose asked.

"Going back to the Brooke."

All three of us shouted at the same time. "No!"

Anastasia scowled. "You guys don't have to go with me. I am not asking anyone of you to come. I'll go by myself if I have to."

We all revolted.

"Ana this is crazy."

"Not to tell you it's dangerous."

"You're thinking on impulse, babe."

"Yes I know it's crazy and no one better than me knows how dangerous it is. But no, it's nothing impulsive. I've been thinking from a while now."

"You've been thinking." Mia repeated.

"Yes! What else do I do lying on the hospital bed whole day?"

"I was there with you. So were Christian and Jose. You didn't think about involving any of us?"

"I had to be sure of myself first. Whether I'm ready or not."

"So are you?"

Ana raised her chin high in the air. She answered back confidently. "I am."

I shook my head. "No babe, you think you are. But you're not."

"I know I am, C. Hundreds of kids are dying in that place. Not to mention Christopher might be still stuck there. I had made a promise to a friend that I would win the Race and get them all out. I couldn't keep the first half I my promise but I certainly wouldn't forget the other half. I've made up my mind you can't stop me now."

Jose threw his hands in exasperation. "So what you think you're going to do? Go there and demand them to let everyone go? What makes you think they won't harm you in anyway?"

"Hold your horses Jose. I am not saying that I am leaving this instance. I can barely walk without fainting for God's sake!"

"Then what are you saying Anastasia?" I asked.

"I am saying that we need to have some strategy made up. Some plan of attacking them. We can't go to the cops but maybe the parents of the missing children?"

"That won't do anything good Ana. My parents don't remember anything about BMHS. They think Christopher ran away."

"Well we can at least try. I know it can take up to months to come up with something and reach there. All I'm saying is that it's time. I have to act now!"

" _We_ have to act now." Mia said, taking Anastasia's other hand.

"I sent you there alone once. I'm not doing that again. It was supposed to be me."

"Mia please. You don't have to do this. It's dangerous." Ana pleaded.

"Well, boo! Deal with it. That's the only way I'm letting you go. With me."

"I'm coming too." Jose snapped.

He held a hand before Ana could protest. "I know most of the inside information. You need me and you're right. I can't let anymore students turn into rapists."

Anastasia nodded reluctantly. Then all three turned to look at me.

 _Seriously? You really need ask me?_

Anastasia knew my answer already. She attempted to change my mind one last time.

"We'll get you brother back, C. You can stay here to cover for us."

She threw me a big wide-eyes pleading look.

It was going to be much harder than I thought.

Especially when Ana looked at me that way.

But I had to do it. For the first time ever, I went against Anastasia's wishes.

"Start packing by next week guys. We are going to get my asshole brother, Christopher back."

Mia and Jose nodded while Anastasia shook her head at me.

But my mind was made as I confirmed it out loud.

"We're going back to The Brooke."

 **THE END.**

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

 **DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW THIS CHAPTER AND THE WHOLE STORY.**

 **Go to next chapter for a sneak peek at THE CINDER (THE BROOKE #2) and other upcoming Ana-Christian stories.**

 **CHAPTER 28 IS A BONUS CHAPTER : A PROLOGUE FOR THE BROOKE.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs**


	27. Sneek Peek

**THE CINDER (THE BROOKE #2)**

 **COMING THIS AUGUST**

 ** _"They destroyed me, burnt me, broke me. But I still came out alive. Their torture and traumas damaged me, but didn't bend me. Everyone had to pay for their deeds. Everyone had to make penance. Now it was their time to burn. And I will be the one to do that. Who am I? I'm not Ana or Mia anymore._**

 _ **I'm The Cinder - burnt but still combustible.**_

 _ **It's funny how your whole life can change in a matter of just a week. She came like an avalanche, shattering my world apart, ripping my heart out. I became a glutton for punishment. A masochist feeding on the pain she gave me. No matter what she does or where she goes, I would stick with her, protect her till the end.**_

 _ **She was my flame, I was her Cinder - only she could burn me.**_

 _ **And for her, burn I will."**_

* * *

 **OPPOSITES ATTRACT (a dark romance)**

 **COMING SOON**

 ** _She was so innocent, her sweetness calling out my beast hidden inside. She thought she knew the dangers, the consequences of being with me. She couldn't be anymore wrong. I had ruined her once, tainted the lightness in her soul. I won't do it again. Even if I had to fight my beast and kill myself. She was the only good in my life and I refused to let her be drowned by my darkness._**

 ** _He thought he ruined me. He couldn't be further from truth. He saved me, gave me the courage to embrace the darkness in me. I agree our first meeting, first kiss and first time wasn't something good. But that was what I had needed. A healthy dose of reality. He believed he was the devil and I was the angel. But isn't that enough reason for us to be together? He believed I should be with someone more like me. Someone good, innocent, naive._**

 ** _Didn't he know that two sides of the same coin can never face each other? That same poles of magnet always repulsed each other? It was always the opposites who attract!_**

 **WARNING : This story is not your typical love story. It involves disturbing scenes, no morals and dubious consent. This is a Dark Romance.**

 **It is not a story of a hero. It is a story of a villian. Those of you who dream about Christian Grey as your perfect man : this story is not for you. Here Christian is at his worst and Ana, all good, is attracted to evil side.**

* * *

 **ROCKSTAR DREAMS**

 **ONGOING AT**

 ** _Away, beyond all the concepts of wrong doing and write doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there._**

 ** _Christian Grey chases his dream to be a Rock star but unfortunately he is missing one major element to success that every artist needs to be successful : Heartache. He has no misery, no tragedy in his life. How to gain pain to achieve his dream?_**

 ** _Easy. Fall in love and get your heart broken. But when Ana Steele comes into life, he develops a new obsession with her. Suddenly his dreams don't matter to him anymore. All he want to do is spend time with her._**

 ** _Will he chose his dream or his love?_**

 ** _(My only story to be exclusively from Christian's POV)_**

* * *

 **DEVOTED SACRIFICES**

 **COMPLETED AT**

 ** _A TWO-SHOT FANFIC._**

 ** _Sometimes changes occur for good, sometimes for bad. But it's on you how you take that's on you, how that change affects your life & your can chose to lose or you can chose to fight 's your life after all, you can take anything that is thrown at such story about a girl whose life changes drastically & how she deals with it._**

 ** _I'd lost everything in life. Everyone I loved, except him. Christian._**

 ** _I'd do anything to protect him from the bad omen that surrounded me._**

 ** _Even if that included breaking his heart._**

* * *

 **Found any of these stories interesting enough to read? Feel free to ask questions or share your views with me. You can drop a review here or PM me about any kind of query.**

 **TURN TO NEXT CHAPTER FOR A BONUS PROLOGUE OF THE BROOKE.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	28. Prologue

**BONUS CHAPTER FOR YOU ALL : PROLOGUE FOR THE BROOKE !**

 **I know prologue is written at the start of the story rather than the end but I kind of had it backwards. We make our own rules, okay?**

 **PROLOGUE**

 **ANASTASIA**

I still don't know why I transferred to Georgia. I've always been the one to follow my instincts blindly- without any questions- so when I felt this urge to go there, I went.

Here I met him. The manwhore of the campus. It all started so typically.

I had to keep my guards up and be resistant to his charms in order to prevent getting laid by the boy every girl wanted.

Each day and each night, my battle got worse.

But my undeniable attraction for him was not the worse part of this story.

It was lying in the bed next to his every night while dreaming about him from a different time, a different past.

A time that never existed, a past that I couldn't remember.

How would I fight against something that I had no memory of?

Everything was about to change and not in a good way.

 **CHRISTIAN**

I was known as the heartless asshole. Lusted by women and envied by men.

Not that they all mattered anymore. I had eyes only for one girl. She came into my life with her high attitude and snarky comments.

I wish I could say my life was a void before her and she filled it but I was actually pretty happy with my life before, with just one secret to hide.

But when she came, my life turned into a complete mess.

She made me spill out my secret and shattered my world apart.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Though what killed me the most were her nightmares. She thought she was dreaming about me until we found out she wasn't.

This was a typical love story until it wasn't.

What happened to her, what probably happened to me... the truth destroyed us.

And so did The Brooke.

 **DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW :D**

 **LOVE YA ALL,**

 **KAISHI SPRINGS**

 **WAIT FOR THE CINDER ;)**


	29. The Cinder

**Hey everyone! How have you been doing? Long time, right? So as promised I have began working on The Cinder (Sequel to the Brooke). It's going really good and I'm pretty sure all those who loved The Brooke won't be disappointed with The Cinder at all.**

 **I'm making a few changes in The Brooke for which I'll be re -editing and updating all the chapters by tonight. It is advised you read The Brooke once again before continuing on to The Cinder.  
**

 **Some changes are minor while some our major. For example - Pinnacle Games has been changed to Pinnacle Race, Gleaning center is Glean Center now and also Ana calls Christian C instead of D (since everyone was confused about that.)**

 **This is a sneak-peak from the first chapter of The Cinder. Hopefully I'll start publishing the story by next weak. Enjoy XD**

 **Anastasia POV**

I sat peacefully in the bright sunlight.

Soaking its warmth deep into my pores.

There was a time once when I took this natural resource for granted.

But not anymore.

After remembering my imprisonment into a deadly place for five months long, every time I saw sun glowing was like a gift.

A gift so vibrant, so pure, it made me almost kneel down and bow to the kindful rays.

The light, the warmth, the heat. It was so pure. So peaceful.

You never know the importance of simple things in your life until they are taken away from you.

Something like that happened with me when I was sixteen, baited into the rattrap of Brooke Mountain High School.

Technically it wasn't me who was supposed to go there.

It was my friend Mia, who didn't want to leave her new place at Los Angeles. So she decided to give her scholarship to me.

Because both her parents were rich lawyers, she was able to draft fake documents that proved me as her. Mia Fields.

I was thrilled to have such an opportunity... only to enter my worst nightmare.

The Brooke and the Pinnacle Race took more than just the lives of my friends.

It took away my sanity. My memory. And my love.

A heavy pain erupted in my heart just thinking of him.

Christopher Grey.

But what pained me more was his betrayal.

We were supposed to be together. Live together, fight together, die together and win together.

But during the final level, he threw me from the mountain peek with nothing but a glass chamber I was trapped into.

Oh, and also with the agonizing feeling of hurt and betrayal.

By some miracle I survived, came back home but in a different time zone.

Where I never went to the Brooke at the first place. Where the Pinnacle Race didn't happen.

Where I never remembered meeting Christopher Grey or anyone belonging to Brooke Mountain High School.

Four years later, it was my attraction towards Christian Grey, that led to a complicated series of events and triggered all these buried memories.

Which included being hit on my head with a rod, almost dying, having a nasty concussion with an ugly scar, a huge part of my head shaved and a brief period of amnesia.

Oh did I forget to mention that Christian and Christopher are twin brothers?

Yeah, that makes this mess a whole lot more complicated.

Christian and his family believed his twin brother had run away four years ago. Though Christian did have his suspicions.

In fact according to Jose, he had been to BMHS too. Under the same duration as us.

But his memories have still not been triggered.

Was it a way for all our minds to deal with the trauma or something done to us by those evil bastards?

Surely if they can send us back into time, have Jack Hyde (the guy who hit me) disappear in thin air, they can do almost anything.

But right now none of these problems bothered me.

There were times when all the questions, the worries, the plans would make my head burst up.

But this moment was not one of those.

A pale hand landed on my shoulder.

I turned to see her face.

Sunlight falling on her, making her skin glow like an angel's. Her dark hair showing their golden shade under the blessed rays.

She came to sit next to me, closing her eyes and doing what I was doing ten seconds back.

Soaking the sunlight.

"It's beautiful here." She said in a hush, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful quiet.

I nodded my head in agreement. I wanted to close my eyes back and face the sun but somehow I knew these moments with her were precious.

I didn't want to lose my time with her.

So I kept looking at her.

Lucy.

My friend from the Brooke.

My ally from the Pinnacle Race.

Lucy turned her head towards me, protecting her eyes with her hands from the bright light to see me.

"Have you found him yet?"

She was talking about Christopher.

"No I haven't." My throat felt heavy when I said those words. The effort made me feel like I was sleeping.

Which was strange since I was wide awake.

Lucy didn't seem to notice the strangeness in my voice.

She shook her and smiled at me.

"You need to find him fast. Time is running Mia."

"It wasn't me who left him at first place. Why should I go for him back?"

"Because it's not just you. I know you Mia, you never intended to find him for yourself."

She was right.

The moment I woke up into the hospital bed, all I wanted was to bring Christian his brother back.

Somehow his grief for living without his twin shadowed all my agony.

If I had to play hundreds of Pinnacle Race just to get him his brother back and put a smile on his face, I'd do it without wasting another breath.

Since the last few months I had known Christian, there has been this fierce need in me.

To value him, cherish him, protect him and make him happy.

I didn't know what it was going on between us.

No, actually I _did_ know.

But I also didn't want to act upon it.

How weird would it be going from one brother to another?  
That too twins?

God, I didn't want to be so shallow.

Not to mention how unfair would that be to Christopher, even though he was a big time asshole.  
Even though he threw me brutally to my death.

Actually after that he did deserve it.

Why should I care for something as insignificant as his feelings after what he did to me?

But it wasn't just him.

It was Christian.

How confusing this all would be for him.

How could he not doubt that my attraction to him was only due to his similarities with his brother?

Hell even I doubted myself.

Given that I didn't remember anything about Christopher or the Brooke when Christian and I had first met.

But that didn't mean that it wasn't my sub consciousness trying to substitute Christian for Christopher.

Which made me disgusted with myself.

So I made the decision of whatever it was building up between me and Christian had to stop.

Not only for my sake but his too.

"I have to go. My time's up." Lucy's declaration brought me back from my musings.

I scowled. I didn't want her to leave.

I wanted her to be with me. Help me get through all this with her observing nature and her intelligent eyes.

I opened my mouth to protest.

It all happened so fast.

Someone came running behind her with an axe in his hand.

Before I could blink, the faceless person raised his arm high in the air and brought the axe down.

The axe landed straight across Lucy's head.

Turning her body headless.

He chopped her head off.

 _From the body._

One minute my friend stood smiling at me, next her head fell on my lap.

The blood gushed of the hollow throat.

Splattering on me.

I opened my mouth but I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.

My limbs were shaking. Body trembling. Yet I couldn't bring to move myself an inch.

I refused to see what happened just now.

My mind couldn't process it.

The faceless blurry person stood in front of me, his feature turning sharper now.

Cody.

It was Cody.

 **Excited for more? Let me know what you think of it by clicking on the review button below.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


	30. Announcement - The Cinder Is Out Now

**ATTENTION DEAR READERS, THE CINDER (THE BROOKE #2) HAS NOW BEEN UPLOADED. YOU CAN VISIT MY PROFILE AND CHECK OUT THE STORY.**

 **I AM WRITING THIS MESSAGE BECAUSE MANY OF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF THE CINDER BEING PUBLISHED (AS ALERTED TO ME BY ONE OF THE READERS)**

 **HERE IS THE SYNOPSIS OF THE CINDER. HERE IS THE LINK TO THE STORY AS WELL :** **s/12090316/1/The-Cinder**

SEQUEL TO THE BROOKE

 **Anastasia**

They destroyed me, burnt me, broke me. But I still came out alive.

Their torture and traumas damaged me, but didn't bend me.

Everyone had to pay for their deeds. Everyone had to make penance. Now it was their time to burn. And I will be the one to do that.

Who am I? I'm not Ana or Mia anymore.

I'm The Cinder - burnt but still combustible.

 **Christian**

It's funny how your whole life can change in a matter of just a week.

She came like an avalanche, shattering my world apart, ripping my heart out.

I became a glutton for punishment. A masochist feeding on the pain she gave me.

No matter what she does or where she goes, I would stick with her, protect her till the end.

She was my flame, I was her Cinder - only she could burn me.

And for her, burn I will."

WARNING : THE BROOKE AND THE CINDER HAVE SOME GRAPHIC AND EXPLICIT CONTENT, THUS SUITABLE FOR MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY.


	31. Blurb

Hey guys, how have y'all been? Just wanted to know, if you've started reading the sequel to "The Brooke" : The Cinder. If not, THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS WAITING FOR?! IT'S ALREADY OUT! Come on, start reading it TODAYYY!

If you're not interested, here's a blurb to make you interested ;)

.

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The sun was setting, leaving the town merged in the colors of evening's yellows and night's dark blues.

The sky was a beautiful shade of red, orange, purple and navy blue. Doing absolutely nothing to enlighten my mood.

Something else picked at my mind.

"Where were you when you called Mia?"

"Back in Sandy Springs."

It had taken us about eight hours to come from St Louis to Elgin, thanks to Mia for dragging us through Columbia.

With the addition to the two hours we had spent in the Health Center, it had been ten hours while I knew the drive from Georgia to Elgin was a minimum of thirteen hours.

"You drove a thirteen-hour drive in ten?" My mouth shot open in disbelief.

And he had had to drive to Sandy Springs from New Orleans also sometime back in last twenty hours.

Was he human?

Christian continued to ignore me.

"You have two options, Christian Grey. Stop this fucking car and let me go like you always do or better start communicating with me. I'm tired of your alpha male shit."

With a curse he took the cut to an isolated street, stopping just before an alley. The front of the car facing the deserted area.

For a moment I feared that he had listened to me and was choosing the first option rather than talking to me.

Why would he leave me on a deserted street? Out of spite?

That wasn't Christian. He'd never do that to me.

But the Christian I knew wouldn't hurt me either. I didn't know who was this man anymore.

A fist banged up on the steering wheel, the reverberations making me jump in my seat.

Another curse left his mouth as he opened the door and moved out, stopping in front of the car, at the mouth of the alley.

Opening my door, I followed him, meeting him from my side.

"What? Just spit it out!"

Both his hands were running through his hair, I could tell he was struggling with whatever he wanted to say.

"You think it was easy for me to let you go? I almost went to the airport to stop you myself. Imagine my reaction when I found out you never went there?"

Oops. Was I supposed to feel sorry for him?

"The point is, you let me go! I don't care what was going inside your thick head, you sent me away without my acknowledgment. You didn't bother to ask me or let me know beforehand."

"Because I knew you wouldn't agree to it. And I don't care what you think of me. I needed you safe Anastasia. That's all that matters to me."

Oh, my. Now was not the time to go all mushy over his words.

Now was not the time to feel butterflies fluttering in my belly.

I tried in vain to keep the anger on the line but I was already feeling it melting off.

"You hurt me C." Shit. My voice cracked. Oh just fuck it. "You made me leave you."

Ugh! I was such a slobbering pathetic mess.

Christian paled for an instant. His walls crumbling down to reveal the tired, frustrated, agonized and angry man left in the wake.

My arms ached to wrap around him, to comfort him, to let him know that he wasn't alone in this. But that could only happen if he let me in, and he was a damned stubborn man.

"Why you haven't called me Ana?"

"What?" He scowled.

"Since you remembered everything, you haven't once called me Ana. Always Anastasia. Why?"

He brows dug deeper in his eyes as if trying to make sense of it.

"I hadn't even realized it." He mumbled out to himself, but I was close enough to hear it.

I skipped to the big elephant in the room.

"What are you hiding from me, C?"

Blood drained from his face, his complexion turned to ashes.

"What had happened to you?" I stepped forward while he moved backward.

"What did they done to you?" Another step ahead. Another step back.

"You think you're the only one going through this? That I haven't been where you are? Or Jose? Brandon? Emily?"

His legs met the bumper of the car, forced to stop. All the whole looking at me like a cornered tiger. Confused whether to pounce or stay hidden.

"I know what you're going through C, I can help you. You have been there for me, let _me_ be there for _you_. "

"Don't come near me." His barking went avoided. "Please, Ana."

I didn't stop until I was standing right in front of him.

My knees brushing his, the tips of my breasts crushed to his hard chest.

"I am not stopping C. I won't stop fighting for you. You have to open up."

His breath embarked the scuffle going within him.

"You don't understand Ana. I'll hurt you, dammit. I can't bear to hurt you anymore."

I smiled mischievously. "You didn't know?" Dropping my voice low, I stage whispered. "I'm a secret masochist."

Christian's breathing changed. It grew deeper, lower, irregular. Huskier.

It affected my own breathing in return, my heart was beating faster, my breaths failing to catch up with its speed.

"I want this Christian. I want you. I want us. _Please_."

With me pleading, all his resolved burst up into sparks, leaving behind explosions of desire.

His mouth collided with mine, his tongue invading my mouth like a robber breaking into a jeweler's store.

My hands grasped his hair roughly, yanking him closer.

Our kiss was violent, fiery, forbidden, erratic and full of angst.

His tongue explored my mouth, curling around my tongue, tasting each surface of the warmth inside.

Heat traveled across my body, shudders ran through me. I molded myself closer into him, my arms wounding across his neck just as his wrapped tightly around my waist.

We couldn't get close enough. It was perplexing, afflicting, ravishing.

My legs came around his hips as he lifted me up. My hardening nipples poking through my clothes into his heated chest.

A thunderous sound escaped from his chest, echoing to my own moans.

His teeth nipped at my bottom lip, biting my tongue. Nothing about his actions was gentle.

And I loved every second of it.

He devoured me with his kisses, pulling me higher to his body until his hardness was cradled against my softness.

Like burning live lava, wetness gushed through my inner thighs.

I became wanton and achy.

Christian spun us in one fast movement so that I was lying across the car's hood while he demolished me with his hungry kisses and eager rocking.

My hips slapped against his in the contrast, rubbing through our denim jeans, creating a wondrous friction.

"Ohh Christian."

Our fingers moved simultaneously, unfastening each other's jeans like our lives depended on it.

His mouth and tongue traveled down to my throat, licking and biting against the softest areas making me writhe in anticipation.

His fingers won the race, stripping my jeans down my hips and legs, with my panties along.

Whereas my fingers still shook at his belt and zips. The humid air of Illinois hitting against my bare arousal.

My movements became frantic, more yearning. And Christian did nothing to help me.

His kisses moved down to my collarbone, my shoulder and landed in a bit at my nipple through my shirt and bra.

I yelped as his teeth captured my stone hard bud. His hands went beneath the back of my shirt, traveling up until they reached the clasp of my bra.

Tugging it open he brought his hand towards the front, cupping my breasts snug into each of his palms.

I arched against him, guttural sounds exiting my throat but I was beyond care.

Christian kneaded my swelled flesh with his palms and knuckles. I finally succeeded in freeing his impossibly hard cock and fisting it in my hands.

"Fuck... God damn Ana!"

His needy voice had me leaking down my thighs. One of his hands left my breast to drive his finger inside me.

My hips flew off the car's surface, taking his finger along me as I cried out.

His cock twitched in my hands.

As soon as my ass was back on the hood, hot from the engine, Christian added another finger with his thumb rubbing fast circles at my clit.

"Oh... _Christian_." I shrieked in despair. The urge to break through was consuming over me. My fist jerked his length as he started pumping his fingers in and out of me.

We moved in sync, our bodies knew exactly how and what to do with each other.

Like a perfectly choreographed dance, my free hand cupped and massaged his balls while he twisted and pinched at my nipples.

"Ana, you're killing me, babe."

We both were. Murdering each other with the weight of our passion.

I was obsessed with his touch, his kisses, his taste. And he was with mine.

* * *

 **Intrigued yet? Yes? Then go read it now! The adventurous suspenseful continuation is too much fun to be missed.**

 **If your answer is still No - JUST WAIT! I'll keep posting interesting blurbs till you get hooked on the way you got hooked on to 'The Brooke.'**

 **Will keep you posted.**

 **Love ya all,**

 **Kaishi Springs xoxo**


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